


Summer Days

by 22_Ti



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Archery, Coming of Age, Enemies, F/F, Fire, Friendship, Mischief, Pranks, Summer, Summer Camp, arts and crafts, knots, resident camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-11-24 06:03:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 76,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18162296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/22_Ti/pseuds/22_Ti
Summary: Follow our girls through the years of resident summer camp. Summer camp AU based on my years with Girl Scout camp. Your mileage may vary. A story told across four years. (Maybe).





	1. And So It Begins - Year 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year 14 – Beca is 14, Chloe and Stacie are 15, Emily is 13, and Aubrey is 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Becca for the prompt! And SecretNerd18 for her constant supply of ideas!

"Mom, seriously? I mean, I get why I can take my laptop and mixing equipment, but what I'm hearing you say is that I can't take my phone _or_  my iPod? So, I'm going to be music-less for three weeks." Beca was whining as she checked things off her packing list as she tossed them into her trunk.

"Beca, you are connected year-round to technology. Balancing this reality with respect for the natural world will do you good. Besides the counselors will just confiscate whatever you take."

"Can I at least take my headphones so I can  _feel_  like I'm listening to music?"

"No."

Beca was frustrated about the camp's no electronics rules, but she was the one who had chosen to go to resident camp. Summers were always boring around her house, and she was starting high school next school year. Her mother wanted her to do something different rather than sitting in her room all summer mixing music (which would have been just fine with her). At least her mother had given her some options to choose from and she chose camp.

Being that horses terrified her because they are so damned tall and she was... not and sailing on a boat on the large, open Gulf waters wasn't her idea of a fun time, she chose a general camp that while there was a small lake with canoeing along with other activities such as archery, crafts, games, dance, hiking, nature exploration, and more.

* * *

After camp check-in and dropping the luggage off for delivery, Beca's mom made sure her daughter was fine with being simply dropped off. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay and help you get settled?"

"Moooooooom," Beca whined. "Just go. I know you have to work today and have better things to do than watch me be awkward around new people and unpack my things." They said their goodbyes then Beca headed towards the pool for her swim test. She was glad that her mom had made her read the first day procedures. Otherwise she wouldn't have known to not pack her swim stuff and to keep it with her.

Beca made her way to the pool, changed clothes in the pool house, and went out to take her swim test. She was issued a colored wrist band which determined which parts of the pool she could venture into during free-swim and whether she could swim in the lake. After drying off and redressing, she made her way to her unit where she would meet her unit counselors.

"Hofwyl," Beca muttered under her breath. "What kind of unit name is that? Like Hufflepuff?" She tried saying the unit name several different ways with different inflections in her voice to figure out which way sounded the funniest. She finally decided one where she used a Julia Childs accent was the best.

When she walked into the unit, she met a tall blonde counselor, probably about three or four years older than Beca, emerged from her tent wearing a camp t-shirt and khaki shorts. She extended her hand to Beca. "Hi, I'm Pitch, well that's my camp name. I'm a Junior Counselor here. And you are?"

"Beca Mitchell." She tentatively shook the counselor's hand.

"Well Beca Mitchell, welcome to Hofwyl" The older teen gave a white, toothy smile. "Are your parents with you?"

Beca shoved her hands in her back pants pockets as she scuffed the ground with the toe of her Converse tennis shoe. "Naw, my mom had to get back to work. After she dropped off my trunk and filled out some papers, she took off."

Pitch looked at the clipboard she was holding. "Well Beca, you are in Cabin Three." She primly pointed in the direction of a cabin with perfectly manicured but polish-less nails. "Your stuff should already be in there, and two of your cabin mates are already here. Why don't you go get settled in? Check-in is over at four, and all the girls should be here by five. Dinner is at six, so that will give us time to start getting to know each other as a unit.

* * *

Beca trudged her way to Cabin Three, entered, and looked around. While trunks or duffel bags were set at each cot, only one was occupied. A long-legged dark-haired girl lay propped up on a few pillows shaping her nails. A stack of entertainment magazines was on the rickety shelf beside the cot. She stopped filing and looked Beca up and down. "Hi."

"Hi." Beca returned the simple greeting as she looked around the cabin. The corner adjacent to the tall brunette had already been clearly claimed by a girl who had obvious love for the color pink. She had a pink sleeping bag decorated with red ladybugs on her bed. On the bedside shelf, she had a battery-operated florescent lamp covered by a pink bandana. Everything was pink. She motioned to the pink corner. "Ummm that's a little…"

"Over the top? Naw she's sweet. She just likes pink. I'm Stacie."

"Beca." Beca tossed her backpack on the cot furthest away from the pink bed that she could get, diagonal from the offensive color which placed her across from Stacie. "Is this your first year here?"

"Nope," she looked upwards in thought. "This is my third year, I think. It's alright. Better than staying at home all summer."

"Truth! So… I can depend on you to tell me the scoop, right?" Beca asked as she hung her damp swimsuit on the end of her metal cot then continued to unpack her few belongings, placing her flashlight and batteries on her shelf along with her water bottle. She tossed a thick journal on the mattress and stuck some writing utensils in a cup on the top of her cabinet.

"Not much of a scoop, unless you count Pitch. She was my cabin-mate for the last two years. Went through Counselor-In-Training, and now she's our junior counselor. I didn't think they'd assign me to her unit, but that's cool." Stacie leaned over and snagged a magazine from her shelf and began randomly flipping through it.

Beca shoved her toiletries on the bottom shelf of her small piece of furniture. "Sounds like there's some history there. What's up?"

"Meh. She's just an up-tight traditionalist is all. A controlling, rule follower to extreme."

The shorter camper got a sly look on her face. "I might have some ideas to make our time here a bit more fun."

Stacie sat all the way up. "You have my attention."

About that time, the door to the cabin flung open and bounced off the wall and in rushed a tornado of red hair in a yellow tank top. "Staaaacccccciiiiieeeee," the newcomer yowled as she ran towards the tallest camper in the cabin and bounced on her cot. "You made it." Her arms were around the girl's neck in a flash as she chattered a million miles an hour.

"I missed you so much. I talked to Pitch; isn't that the best camp name for her? They had us in cabins across the unit from each other. Can you imagine? Separating us? I persuaded her to let us stay in the same cabin. I even moved your trunk myself. That's how much I love you Stacie Conrad." Beca could barely keep up with the babbling of the redhead.

"I missed you, too, Chloe. Chill." Stacie hugged her friend back. "Hey, meet Beca. Beca meet Chloe Beale. I hope you like hugs because this is officially known as the hug-cabin and Chloe here is our president."

Beca scuttled backwards and held her backpack in front of her as if that would shield her from the fireball sitting on Stacie's bed. "Ummmm no thanks. I'll pass on the hugs."

The redhead camper got up from her friend's cot and sauntered towards her own pink area as Stacie swatted her on the butt with a rolled-up magazine. Chloe grabbed her stuffed ladybug from her pile of pillows and plopped down, crossing her arms over the plushie. "Your loss Beca. I'm the best hug giver at Camp Barden. You'll come around." Stacie just teasingly rolled her eyes and went back to reading her magazine as Chloe picked up her random chattering.

* * *

The Hofwyl unit returned to their cabins after dinner and gathered by the unit shelter so the counselors could distribute daily schedules, discuss the kaper chart, and shower rotations. They had gone through rounds of introductions between the campers before dinner, so tonight was more about settling into a routine.

Cabin Three returned to their abode – Beca, Stacie, Chloe and the fourth girl who had arrived late. Apparently, her mother was a Camp Barden alumnus and knew absolutely everybody. Much to her young daughter's dismay, they stopped to talk to everyone her mother knew and her mother paused to tell her the history of everything she passed. Chloe took the bandana off her electric lantern and flipped on the florescent light. Along with Stacie's lantern, light reached into all corners of the cabin. Chloe bounced over to the new girl and plopped down on her cot. "Hi, I'm Chloe. That's Stacie and Beca." She pointed at each of their cabin mates in turn.

The newcomer was young and kind of shy. "Emily." Chloe seemed satisfied with just a name and the redhead's chatter took over the cabin as they packed their caddies with their toiletries and readied for the showers.

After their whirlwind showers, the group returned to their home for the next month. Ten o'clock was lights out so indeed all the lights went out right on schedule. However, getting Chloe to turn off her energy was a bit more difficult. Beca buried her head under her pillow to try to block out the noise.

After a few minutes of listening to the redhead ramble, Beca grabbed one of her smaller pillows and launched it across the cabin. "Can it Beale. Wakeup call comes early." Stacie could be heard laughing under her own stack of pillows as Chloe scrambled to find the offending pillow and throw it back.

"Cabin Three! I hear you." An authoritative voice came from the center of the unit circle. "Lights out means .sleep."

* * *

Seven am did indeed come early the next morning, particularly for Beca who had never been much of a morning person. She pulled her sheet and thin blanket over her head to block out the light. "I knew I should have gone to the 'night owls' session," she grumbled.

A fully dressed Chloe came across the cabin and began rocking Beca's shrouded body to try to get her to get up and dressed. "And miss out on being friends with me Mitchell? Nope. You would have regretted it."

"I doubt that." Beca's grumbling continued through the girls' obligatory trip to the latrine to use the restroom and brush their teeth and hair. Somehow Cabin Three was ready to go to breakfast right on time. Stacie let Beca and Emily know that they should take a water bottle and whatever they needed for their morning classes with them because the campers would depart for their activities right after breakfast.

Breakfast was surprisingly good. The campers could choose from pancakes or a variety of cold cereal. And a fresh fruit bar was set up along the side of the lodge. Beca eyed the coffee urn set up for the counselors but campers were restricted from caffeine consumption. She'd never been one for eating breakfast, but she made a small attempt as she pushed fruit around on her tray.

Before the meal started, the counselor at her table had passed around a paper wrapped tin can with a bunch of wooden sticks. The stick she had drawn read  _scraper_  and provided no context whatsoever. At the end of the meal, the cheerful counselor asked who the scraper was. Beca tentatively raised her hand. The counselor explained her job then provided oversight to ensure it was done correctly.

Beca turned her head to the side as she scraped left overs from each plate onto one. "And we do this awful task why?"

"All of this," the counselor motioned to the plate, "goes into a slop bucket. Then the kitchen staff dumps the buckets into huge barrels outside. A pig farmer comes by every few days to exchange the full barrels with empty ones. Why should we have a lot of food waste when he can use our leftovers to feed his hogs in the summer?" The tiny camper almost gagged as she finished her chore and made a mental note to try to avoid that stick in future meals.

* * *

The girls of Cabin Three split up for their morning activities. Chloe and Stacie were completing Leadership-In-Training (LIT) which would lead to the Counselor-In-Training the next summer. They went to start their basic leadership classes while Emily and Beca went to sports. "Ummm I'm not that coordinated," Emily admitted while they walked to the designated area.

"Me either," Beca admitted. "Maybe they will let us be water girls." The girls laughed together, each knowing that would be the job they were best suited for. Today's sport was archery. While several counselors began setting up the range, Beca and Emily helped each other with sunscreen. "I'm not sure about you Em, but one thing I'm best at… is getting a sunburn."

Once things the targets were in place along with the rest of the gear, the girls huddled around the instruction area. The lead counselor for this activity walked to the front of the group. Pitch. Beca groaned because she already knew, even after being at the camp for less than twenty-four hours that Pitch would be the bane of her existence. Something about the tall blonde just seemed to rub her the wrong way.

Emily was quietly clapping her hands as she stood next to her cabinmate as she leaned over and whispered, "I'm gonna to unleash my inner Katniss." Beca almost snorted with laughter before catching herself. She didn't want to catch the attention of the counselor.

Pitch had her long blonde hair pulled back into a simple pony-tail and held up her bow. "Today girls, we are going to learn about archery using a simple, traditional bow. Let's talk about safety first." The girls were paired up and would be shooting one at a time. "You cannot even have as much as an arrow notched on your bow unless the range master, that's me, calls downrange hot, that means ready for shooting."

Pitch demonstrated how to put on an arm guard and finger tabs. She drew one arrow from her quiver and talked her way through notching the arrow, pulling the string back, aiming, turning the non-dominant arm out of the way, and releasing the arrow. The arrow thwacked into the bullseye to the amazement of the campers as they cheered her accomplishment.

A counselor was assigned to every two pairs of campers and supervised the donning of safety equipment. Emily was terrified so Beca put on a brave front and went first. Once all the campers were geared up and lined up, Pitch called out, "do not advance past the firing line. The range is live." Each counselor then coached their shooters through their first shot.

"Fu… OUCH!" Beca dropped her bow and slapped her hand over the inside of her elbow. Emily covered her eyes fearing what had happened to her new friend. The counselor explained that Beca had forgotten to rotate her non-dominant arm outward, and it had been slapped with the bowstring. She helped Beca readjust the arm guard to cover that piece of skin better and reminded her to rotate her elbow.

Beca became incensed when she glanced at Pitch who seemed to be smirking at her injury. Her second arrow went wide left and third went over the top of the target. While her imagination was probably running in overdrive, she thought Pitch was still mocking her. She went to unsnap her gear before Emily stopped her. "Beca? You still have three arrows."

"She's making fun of me. I don't even know the girl but…" Emily calmed Beca down and assured her that so much was happening on the range that nobody had time to make fun of anyone else. Despite not believing Emily, Beca decide to shoot her last arrows anyway. She blocked out Pitch and everyone else on the range. Her fourth shot hit one of the outer bands and fifth shot, a bit closer in. Then her sixth shot – well her sixth shot landed right inside the bullseye ring.

Emily jumped up and down, shrilling and clapping for her cabinmate. Not many girls had managed to hit more than the outer bands and nobody but Beca came close to the bullseye.

Pitch closed the range while the first set of campers went out to collect their arrows. "Congrats Beca. You learn fast." Despite her kind words, Beca still wasn't impressed with the counselor.

Emily took her turn and also did fairly well for a beginner. Both girls were excited to learn that they would do more archery on another day.

* * *

A variety of food was available at lunch. The hot meal was cheese enchiladas with beans and rice. There was also a salad and fruit bar which would be available during each lunch and dinner. Today's dessert was these round coconut candies which were rumored to be delightful. The kitchen staff closely guarded them as people were always trying to sneak extras.

Before eating, the table counselor again passed around the chore can. When she pulled out the  _scraper_  stick again, Beca groaned. "Again?" Everyone around the table laughed, apparently feeling the same way about that stick. She turned to the camper sitting next to her. "Trade?"

"What do you have to offer?"

After thinking a moment, Beca pushed her coconut candy forward slightly. If they were as good as everyone said they were, that should do the trick.

The other camper laughed as she opened the outer pocket on her knapsack to reveal about four extra coconut snacks. "Sorry Mitchell." She chuckled as she zipped up her bag and put it back under the table. "I got connections."

* * *

When Hofwyl returned to camp, a homemade wooden plaque was hanging on the unit shelter. Many of the campers excitedly ran to the shelter, bouncing up and down until the counselors arrived. Pitch held up the sign and gave a fist pump. "Do you know what this means girls? We received the 'cleanest unit of the day' award." Apparently throughout the morning, inspections had been made and their unit was the best. Pitch read the checklist, pointing out the improvements that were needed to keep the award.

"And, cabin of the day… Cabin Three!" The girls all shouted and clapped those four campers on the back. Pitch then explained Turtle Time which was designated as quiet time when all campers had to be completely on their cots either taking a nap or some quiet activity. This was to help give their lunch time to settle and keep them out of the harshness of the noon sunlight.

"How did we get a clean cabin award?" Beca was especially curious since she knew she had left her cot unmade and clothes haphazardly thrown around her area when she left. When she walked in and saw that their cabin was spotless, including her own corner having a perfectly made bed. She checked her trunk and found her pajamas neatly folded on top.

Stacie had already thrown herself on her bed before she responded. "Don't ask questions Mitchell. Just be glad Chloe likes to be the best. At everything."

That Chloe had even touched her things infuriated Beca. She didn't even know Beca, and she certainly didn't have permission. Beca decided the argument wasn't worth it and laid down on her bed. She put her arms behind her head and gazed up at the ceiling until she drifted off to a light sleep.

* * *

After Turtle Time, everyone put on swimwear. Girls with red and yellow wrist bands would go to the pool for swim lessons while the blue bands would go to the lake. The hopes were that before camp was over, at least the yellow bands would advance enough in their skills to move to the lake activities Regardless, by the end of camp, everyone would end up swimming at the lake. Some girls would just have to wear life jackets and be restricted to certain areas.

Chloe and Stacie's leadership lessons were only in the morning, so they would be with the unit for the afternoon activities. However, their wrist bands were blue while Beca and Emily both had yellow bands, so swim time would be separate. Despite taking swim lessons when she was younger, Beca was not as comfortable in the water as she should be at fourteen years old, so she was fine going to take lessons. And thirty minutes of swim lessons were well worth the twenty minutes of free swim they received. Beca figured that life could be worse – red bands weren't even allowed in the deep end of the pool.

Emily was turning out to be a pretty cool buddy for her cabinmate. Being new to Camp Barden, much like Beca, Emily's shy and nervous side almost seemed overwhelming unless she was with the shorter camper who she seemed to already idolize. She stuck next to Beca like glue.

After lessons and free swim, the pool campers headed to the lake where the blue bands were untying canoes from their dock and pulling them on the shore of the lake. Since the girls were already in their swim gear, their next planned activity was using the thin aluminum boats to navigate the smooth surface of the lake.

As with archery, the canoeing activity started with a discussion about safety. Regardless of wrist band color, all girls were required to wear a life vest. Each boat would hold three campers, each with a different band color. One girl with a paddle each would sit fore and aft while the third camper would sit cross-legged in the middle. The counselors demonstrated how to shift places while on the lake before the girls broke into triplets.

Despite Chloe and Beca being similar in stature, Beca begged Stacie to be her third partner. She had already found a red band to be a part of their trio. "Come on Stacie. You know Chloe gets on my nerves. Please?" Stacie tried to explain the buoyancy issue of changing positions out on the water when paddlers were of different sizes, but she relented after deciding that she didn't want to be on the wrong end of Beca-the-Firecracker. This left Emily to pair with Chloe and another younger red band.

Most of the blue bands had attended camp at least a few years and showed the others all around the lake as they paddled around. They pointed out the thirty-foot-high slick slide, the huge air-filled trampoline-like balloon, and along with large wooden submerged platform out in the middle from which girls could jump or dive. Even though many of the activities required PFD's for all girls, Beca was excited to qualify for a blue band so she could come swimming at the lake rather than taking lessons at the pool.

* * *

After an exhausting afternoon in the sun and on the water, the Hofwyl unit made their way back to their cabins for a quick rest and to give them time to dress for dinner. When Stacie asked Emily how their morning had gone, her bubbly excitement almost overcame her as she told about their 'Becoming Katniss' adventure. "You two should have seen Beca. She hit the target with her last three arrows, the last one was even a bullseye!"

Beca cringed as she told about their time at the archery range, relaxing only when she realized Emily was not going to share her mishap of the first arrow. "Beca 'Everdeen' Mitchell; that's me." She was trying to joke with her cabin mates, but the praise Emily was giving her still embarrassed her. "This tall drink of water here hit well inside the target with two of her arrows."

Stacie bumped Emily with her shoulder. "Good job kiddo."

Back at the cabin, the girls stripped off their wet suits and put on clean, and more importantly, dry clothes. The day had been long but full of fun for everyone.

After dinner, the girls all filed out to the covered porch out back and sat in huddled groups by unit with their counselors mixed among them. Pitch and a few of the other counselors were in front of the girls and explained that today was the adjustment day and normally after meals was song time "So tonight's activity is song night. How many of you have  _never_  been to camp before?" About half of the girls raised their hands. "Well tonight is fun-song-night. We will sing a song for you then teach the song line by line."

"Our first song is to the tune of 'God Bless America'." Knowing immediately what song was coming and that this was for the younger campers, the experienced ones clapped and cheered as they sang along with the counselors who were hamming things up in front of the group.

_God bless my underwear, my only pair._  
_Stand beside them, and guide them,_  
_Through the rips, through the holes, through the tears._  
_From the washer, to the dryer, to the clothesline in the air.  
_ _God bless my underwear, my only pair._

True to their word, the counselors then taught the song one line at a time, singing it and having the kids sing it back. By the time they got to singing the full song, everyone had it perfect. Everyone who was participating though. Beca was leaned back on her hands, humored at everyone around her belting out such a ridiculous song.

The next song seemed to drag on forever. And again, it was a song for the younger girls, but it turned out being hilarious. The counselors up front all lined up and began to kick as they sang the chorus. Each time they sang a verse, they spun around before going back to kick-dancing.

_*Chorus*_

_Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side, keep on the sunny side of life YEE-HAW! You'll suffer no pain as we drive you all insane, so keep on the sunny side of life._

_Knock knock_  
_Who's there?_  
_Eather_  
_Easter Who?  
_ _Eather Bunny!_

_HA-HA-HA_

_*Chorus*_

_Knock knock_  
_Who's there?_  
_Anada_  
_Anada Who?  
_ _Anada Easter Bunny!_

_HA-HA-HA_

_*Chorus*_

_Knock knock_  
_Who's there?_  
_Stella_  
_Stella Who?  
_ _Stella Anada Easter Bunny!_

_HA-HA-HA!_

_*Chorus*_

_Knock knock_

_Who's there?_  
_twuck_  
_twuck who?  
_ _Twuck go beep beep and run over ALL the Easter bunnies!_

_HA-HA-HA_

_*Chorus*_

_Knock knock_  
_Who's there?_  
_BOO_  
_BOO Who?  
_ _Don't cry there'll be more Easter bunnies next year!_

_HA-HA-HA_

_*Chorus*_

With this song, the counselors didn't do a sing-a-line-repeat. They had all the girls get on their feet and just be crazy silly as they sang. The new girls didn't take long to catch on.

* * *

After a few more songs, the girls were thoroughly exhausted from their activity-filled day. The counselors herded the campers back to their units. Showers seemed to be completed more quickly and soon everyone was tucked into bed.

Pitch hadn't called lights out yet, so Beca was using Stacie's lantern light to write in her journal. Sometimes she wrote thoughts about her day, but in the last year, Beca had found her writing had turned more to putting her experiences into song lyrics. She often got just as lost in her writing as she did when she mixed music at home.

"Sorry Beca. I am going to turn the light out. I'm exhausted." Chloe had already turned hers off and soon Stacie did the same. Beca could hear faint snores coming from Emily's side of the cabin. Soon all three of her cabin mates were fast asleep.

Then… she heard soft singing coming from the center of the unit, next to the shelter. The song wasn't familiar to her but the voice… was clear and, well, beautiful. The counselor sang something about barges, starboard, and port. Now Beca realized why the counselor taught the songs line by line. While the silly songs were easier for everyone to remember, Beca hoped they would be taught some of these more serious songs as well.

_Wait. Only one day had passed. Was she beginning to like all this?_


	2. Friends, Tie-Dye, and Bracelets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year 14 continued

The next morning, Beca made an effort to at least pull her sheet and blanket up over her mattress to make her area look neater. She balled up her sleep clothes and tossed them into her trunk, hidden from view. She even straightened the haphazard items she'd tossed on her shelf. She hoped this would be enough to keep Chloe to leave her things alone.

The breakfast hot selection this morning was fresh waffles. The fresh fruit bar was popular as campers piled their waffles high with the sweet stuff and dolloped fresh whipped cream on top of everything. And again, there was the cereal bar. Beca had not drawn her hated chore stick this time but had gotten sweeper. That meant that once everyone filed out to the covered patio for singing, the sweepers stayed to put the benches on the tables and sweep the floors. This job wasn't bad plus it got her out of singing.

After morning song time, Chloe and Stacie again went to their leadership classes while Beca and Emily headed to something called 'Vitamin N'. This was the morning they learned about the natural things found around Camp Barden. They first gathered on the back patio, and one of the counselors brought out a few large poster boards. She covered the different types of trees and plants that were found at Camp Barden and how to identify them. Then the group walked around, pausing when the campers found something so the counselor could confirm the find or correct their identification.

The counselor handed out a sheet of paper, a pen, and a small roll of tape to each buddy pair. She defined an area of camp within boundaries which were visible from the lodge. Then the girls spread out to do a nature scavenger hunt.

"Look a stick." Beca laughed as she picked it up and taped it to their paper.

Emily squealed when she picked up a pinecone. "I can't tape this Beca."

"Just draw in Ems." Both girls were giggling as this scavenger hunt seemed a little on the childish side. But it kept them busy looking for some of the plants and trees they learned today.

They were able to tape their 'two different leaves' and 'a chewed leaf' to the paper. Oh, and a blade of grass for 'something green'. Many of the things, they just wrote descriptions in the box since the whole tape idea seemed rather silly. Time was almost up and there were several things they had yet to find. Emily took the paper from Beca and hid it from view as she marked on it with the pen. She refused to show her friend until right before they turned in their activity sheet.

The bottom item was 'Something You Think is a Treasure'. Emily had drawn two stick figures, one tall and the other not so tall, holding hands. She had drawn an arrow to the couple and wrote 'My treasure is my new best friend, Beca'.

The shorter girl got a funny feeling in her stomach. She didn't have many close friends, zero to be exact, and wasn't quite sure what to say. "I'm a treasure alright… so bury me." This comment caused the pair to laugh all the way to lunch.

* * *

After lunch, Beca returned to their cabin to again find a perfectly made bed and that Chloe had folded her sleep clothes again. And this time, her small wooden side cabinet was now super neat, not just straightened up like she had left it. Beca's anger was about to bubble over as she walked over to what she now called the 'pink corner' and kicked the leg of Chloe's cot, knocking it sideways. "Quit touching my stuff Beale," Beca growled. Chloe ignored her. "I'm serious Chloe. I don't like people messing with my things."

"I can't help I like a clean cabin." Chloe's voice was muffled as her head was buried in that stupid ladybug pillow.

"Well you'll have to deal with a three-quarters clean cabin. Just leave my things alone." Beca stomped off and threw herself on her bed for the rest of Turtle Time.

* * *

The afternoon started off just as the day before. The lower swim groups went to the pool for lessons then free swim while the older group had free swim at the lake. The second water activity was fishing at the lake. Since there was another unit canoeing and splashing water wasn't exactly conducive to catching anything, Hofwyl campers went to the far end of the lake where the canoes were restricted from going.

"The lake is stocked with common carp and yellow perch. We use worms for bait." Pitch held up a small container of bait. "And, we are 100% catch and release. New fisherwomen, pair up with someone who has some experience, and if you have any questions, let one of us counselors know."

Beca immediately snagged two poles and a container of worms as she dragged Emily to the far bounds of where they could drop their lines. Her taller friend looked at her curiously. Beca rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I don't want to be anywhere around Chloe. She gets on my nerves."

Emily held out her pole and nodded towards the bait for Beca to put a squiggly worm on for her. "I don't know Beca; she seems alright." Beca showed Emily how to cast her line into the water and told her to keep her eyes on the bobber.

"But she's always touching my stuff," Beca whined.

"Two mornings and that's always?" Emily really didn't want to get in between the girls, but she wanted to be supportive of her new best friend. The younger girl's bobber took a dive beneath the surface.

"Jerk up, jerk up on your pole." Beca was excited for her friend as she explained how to reel in her catch. The perch was about four inches long, but you would have thought it was a tuna the way both the friends carried on. Emily posed for a picture with Beca's digital camera before the fish was unhooked and gently set free.

"My first fish ever!" Emily squealed as she threw her arms around her friend and lifted her off the ground.

"Whoa there Ems, let me down. I'm afraid of heights." Despite always looking for the humor in the situation, Beca found herself becoming quite comfortable with the younger camper and enjoying her company more than she thought she would.

Three more perch and two carp later, fishing time was over. After the gear was cleaned off and properly stored, Hofwyl campers went back to their cabins to clean up for dinner and more singing. As they walked back, Beca asked if any of them had heard singing the night before.

Stacie and Chloe looked at each other before Stacie answered. "We must have already been asleep. What song was it?"

"I've never heard it before. But whoever sang it had an amazing voice."

When the two experienced campers looked other again, they said simultaneously, "Pitch."

"That's why her camp name is perfect for her. She's a remarkable singer and is always on pitch."

* * *

Indeed, after dinner, the camp did learn some older, more serious songs. One of the songs was called 'Barges' which Beca immediately recognized as the song Pitch was singing the night before.

_*Chorus*_  
_Barges, I would like to go with you,_  
_I would like to sail the ocean blue._  
_Barges, have you treasures in your hold?_  
_Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?_  


_Out of my window looking in the night,_  
_I can see the barges flickering light._  
_Silently flows the river to the sea,  
_ _As the barges go by silently._

_*Chorus*_

_Out of my window looking in the night,_  
_I can see the barges flickering light._  
_Starboard shining green and port is shining red,  
_ _I can see the barges from my bed._

_*Chorus*_

Beca got the feeling the song was longer than what the counselors were teaching. But that was probably the right decision with the younger girls. Stacie had told her that she didn't learn all the songs her first year. The silly ones were the easiest, but like Beca, was fell in love with the more serious songs. But no matter how much she enjoyed them, she refused to sing more than in just a whisper to learn the words.

* * *

That night after showers, Beca returned to the cabin early. After making sure her things were put up as well as readying her clothes and bag for the next day, Beca plopped down on her bed to write some more. Her journal was filling up surprisingly fast, and she realized she might have to buy some paper at the camp store. Her writing had ramped up since arriving at camp.

"What are you doing Beca?" Emily was so innocent that Beca couldn't help to smile from the inside.

"Flying my spaceship Ems. Duh!" She smirked at her own sarcastic remark.

"Aaaaiiiieeeee." Suddenly a long lanky body with wet hair came flying out of nowhere and landed on top of her. "You know I could smush you like the tiny bug you are Becs. Come on, whatcha doing?"

Beca had almost gotten used to Emily's touchy-feeliness. The younger girl often grabbed her hand when they were walking from activity to activity or leaned up against her in the singing circle. But Emily laying on top of her was almost too close as Beca fought the panicky feeling that was creeping into her body. She wriggled her way from beneath Emily and sat up so she could breathe without hurting her friend's feelings.

"Writing, Emily." She explained that sometimes she wrote her feelings and sometimes she wrote about her day but that lately she'd been trying to turn them into song lyrics of sorts. Before Emily could ask, she added, "but I'm pretty private about it."

Emily considered this for a while and answered hopefully. "Maybe someday?"

"Yeah… maybe someday."

When their two cabinmates returned, Emily again shared her excitements of the day including the news about the first fish she had ever caught. By now, the four-inch fish had grown to over twelve inches long. Neither Chloe nor Stacie corrected her despite knowing there were no twelve-inch-long perches in Lake Barden, or anywhere for that matter.

Beca couldn't decide if she wanted to lay facing the wall of the cabin or the center. She finally chose to lay where she could see the middle of the cabin, but she pulled her sheet up all the way to her eyes. Soon everyone was done with their nightly routine and were settling into their cots when Chloe shrieked. "Owwwwww! Oh my god. Seriously?" She flipped her light back on.

A voice came from across the unit. "Lights out Cabin Three. Time for bed."

Beca kept her sheet pulled up to her eyes and watched as a furious Chloe got up and dumped out her sleeping bag. Four pinecones fell from the bottom of the bag. Apparently 'someone' had decided Chloe needed a prank. She expected Chloe to start ranting, but all the redhead did was pick up the pinecones and hurl them towards Beca's corner. She crawled back into her sleeping bag and turned out the light.

After she was sure she wouldn't laugh, Beca stage whispered towards Emily, "Seed of  _pinus palustris_ commonly known as Longleaf Pine."

* * *

For the next several days, Chloe did not touch Beca's corner. In fact, Chloe steered as far clear of Beca as she could which the tiny camper had no issues with since she couldn't stand Chloe anyway. Emily finally convinced her friend to make a more concerted effort at keeping her area cleaner for inspection to keep tension a bit lower. Beca did admit that the cabin did look better after Chloe had straightened up before inspection. But that wasn't enough for her to change her mind. She still didn't want her things touched.

The morning activities were keeping Emily and Beca busy which was certainly okay with them both. One particularly rainy morning, they went into one of the indoor classrooms for arts and crafts. As usual, Beca was trying to make Emily laugh about making 'macaroni art' or 'finger painting'. Because there were two units of girls together, they were given a choice either tie-dye or bracelet-making.

"OMG Beca! I've always wanted to learn how to tie dye. You have no idea. Can I do that one?" Emily was quivering with excitement. The counselors had requested that buddies split up so everyone could meet new people, and Beca had absolutely no interest in making bracelets. However, the joyful look on her friend's face was impossible to resist.

"Sure nerd. Just make me something cool."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Emily grabbed her friend with her normal exuberance, gave her a big hug, and trotted off to the tie-dye room.

Making bracelets ended up being not as bad as Beca had imagined. They learned how to make either round or square bracelets out of plastic lacing then cool survival bracelets with paracord. She decided to give the plastic bracelets to Stacie and Chloe (why not) and made matching paracord bracelets for herself and Emily. She couldn't wait to tell her friend all about the survival bracelets and how they could be used in the outdoors. If, of course, your plane crashes in the forest or you are stranded on an island.

Looking around, Beca saw a lot of the younger girls still working on their bracelets. Many of them had to redo parts of theirs to make them 'perfect'. Even Beca found the elementary age girls cute and she didn't even like younger kids.

She then spied an older counselor in the corner working with leather. Beca went over and watched. The counselor had just finished a leather bracelet and handed it to Beca. "Wanna see?"

Beca took the leather and examined it. It was a little over an inch wide and had three braided strips. When she looked closer, she noticed something odd. "Where are the seams? How did you do this?" She was honestly impressed. The counselor showed her that the bracelet was indeed made of a continuous strip of leather artfully woven.

"It's called a magic bracelet. Wanna try your hand at one?"

"Would I be two greedy if I said two?"

The counselor chucked and replied, "not at all." She pulled out the strips which had pre-fastened snaps and pushed a razor over towards Beca. "Be careful. It's extremely sharp." She directed Beca where to cut. The second came out much more even than the first. "That's great."

She told Beca how to pull one end all the way through, criss-cross the others, and to continue to manipulate the strips until the bracelet was finished. "Just like that – magic."

The camper was pumped and did the second one on her own. The second wasn't as neat at the first that the counselor did, so she claimed that one for her own and planned to give Emily both the paracord and leather bracelets. "How do we take care of these? Special oil?"

The counselor held out her arm which displayed a dark brown, tighter version of the ones they had just made. "I wear mine everywhere, even the pool and shower. The water will make the knots tighten-up, shrink. But it also gives it this cool color. Or you can rub them down with vegetable oil."

"Dude," Beca was staring at the bracelets. "these are way cool. Thanks so much!"

"I hope your buddy likes them."

"We just met here. She's pretty cool."

"That's what camp is all about. Making new friends."

* * *

After lunch, the girls were walking back to their unit for Turtle Time. Beca caught Chloe hopefully eyeing the unit shelter for the 'Cleanest Unit' award they had won a few times before. The redhead's face fell when she saw that, once again, they had not earned the top honor. Before coming back to the cabin, Chloe was talking to Pitch as they looked over the inspection sheet. Chloe was shaking her hand and pointing to their cabin. The redhead finally rolled her eyes and trounced back to the cabin.

She and Chloe still were not on speaking terms, but Beca decided to give her peace offering anyway. She tossed the plastic bracelets onto Stacie's and Chloe's cots. "I know it's not much. You don't have to wear them. Maybe put them on your backpack or something."

Stacie examined hers. "Good job on your first try Shortie. Took me a few tries to braid these suckers."

A mumbled 'thank you' is all that came from Chloe who was again laying face first with her head buried into her ladybug pillow.

On the other hand, Emily was ecstatic about her paracord bracelet. "Just wait until I tell you want all this stuff can do." Beca was just as enthusiastic about hers as she stuck out her wrist. "Look, they match."

"Toss that here Mitchell. I've always wanted one of these, but this is the first year they've made them in crafts. I suppose I'll learn sometime during this leadership stuff. If you go to crafts again, will you make me one?" Beca agreed and asked her what colors she wanted. She guiltily looked over at Chloe's area and made a note to check for paracord in shades of pink.

Then Beca felt the other bracelets in her pocket. "Heyyyyyyyyy Emily. Where's my awesome tie-dye whatever? You got a cool bracelet, and I got lousy nothing." Emily's confidence was growing every day, and the younger camper had definitely gotten used to Beca's taunts.

Emily stuck out her tongue at her friend. "It's raining nerd. They aren't dry yet. Plus, the colors probably would run or something if we brought them back in the rain."

"Okay, so what did I get?"

"Oh, I made all of us cool bandanas and you and me t-shirts."

Beca did a fist pump. "Yes! Just what I've always wanted. Something to wear on the first day of high school." Even Stacie laughed at that comment. She pulled the leather bracelets out of her pocket and tossed one across the cabin to Emily. "In that case, have another bracelet." She snapped hers on her wrist with the paracord one and waved it around.

"Whaaaaaa?" Forgetting it was Turtle Time, Stacie ran over to Emily's cot. "Is that a magic bracelet?" When Beca nodded, Stacie took it upon herself to show Emily the mysteries of the leather bracelet. "I've seen Pongo's, and she gave one to Tigger today. That's so cool." She chucked Emily in the shoulder. "You have the best buddy ever."

When Emily snapped on her bracelet, she noticed two words stamped into her leather. 'JUST BE'. When she looked at Beca, her friend just grinned as she mouthed 'be' and pointed to herself then Emily. After a few moments the younger camper realized that the words were a reference to her new friendship – 'Just Beca and Emily'. She ran over to Beca's cot and gave her another tremendous hug. "Thanks Bec. I love it."

After another admonishment from the counselor cabin, the girls decided they needed to settle down and rest. Emily was pleased with her bracelets and that's what mattered to Beca. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a sniffle. She squinted her eyes open a bit and saw that Chloe was looking at her. The redhead wiped a stray tear from her eye and quietly turned over to face the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being a teenager sucks sometimes.


	3. Boil Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things boil over as Year 14 of summer camp wraps up.

After Turtle Time, the rain was still coming down although not quite as hard as in the morning. The girls threw on their ponchos and headed back to the lodge. The wind earlier had caused a lot of the rain to blow into to covered area, so the concrete was wet and slippery and unsafe to walk on. The campers all helped and moved the dining tables out of the way.

The girls had to break into groups, several from each unit and nobody from the same cabin. The counselors again explained that part of the camp experience was getting to know new people. The unit leaders pushed out cardboard boxes full of various items of clothing and props and announced that the afternoon would be spent creating skits.

Campers would be given scenarios and using the items from their box, come up with a skit to enact. They would have one hour to design and practice their skit before performances began. Having done this many times before, the counselors knew how much time to provide and to allot for each skit. They also knew the basic contents of each box so always tried to give the wildest scenarios possible where the campers would have to use their utmost imagination.

To the laughs and giggles of the audience, Beca walked on stage wearing an oversized bright green shirt and yellow pants with a bright red clown wig. She was exaggerating swinging her arms as she walked, chewing make-believe gum in an embellished fashion. She sat on a chair which had been placed in the center of the stage. After a few moments of examining her fingernails, she got up, took the make-believe gum out of her mouth, placed it on the back of the chair, and walked off. Another girl, again with outlandish colored clothing and a backwards baseball cap, walked out to the chair, and leans her hand on the back. When she found the gum on her hand, she acted disgusted as she pantomimed wiping it on the seat of the chair and stomping off stage.

A third girl who was wearing pink overalls and a straw cowboy hat sauntered up to the chair, took a seat and crossed her legs in a dainty fashion. When she realized gum was stuck to her rear-end, she was utterly disgusted. She peeled it off, threw it to the ground and marched off stage. Another girl wearing a purple tutu and high heels was strutting across the stage and stopped, playing as if her shoe was stuck to the platform by the gum. With great revulsion, she acted like she peeled it off her shoe, stuck it to the back of the chair, and scooted off.

Finally, Beca came back and walked up to the chair. She pretended to take the gum off the chair, stuck it in her mouth, and walked off stage. All the girls in the crowd groaned until they realized the brilliance of the skit and started clapping, hooting, and hollering.

Even though Beca was with a completely group of girls than before, she found herself enjoying herself to no end. The skits were all cute, and the costumes the campers were able to use out of their boxes were ingenious. She was literally rolling on the floor as she watched Emily's. Her friend kept tripping over her own feet, and her face stayed a bright red the entire time.

* * *

The next day, the ground had dried sufficiently for outdoor activities to continue. Pitch explained that before they went into knot-tying, wood needed to be collected for the afternoon activity. Emily raised her hand and asked about the afternoon. "Different basic outdoor skills are what we will learn today. After knot-tying, we are going to learn how to build fires." This knowledge terrified Emily, but Beca assured her that the other activies that Emily had thought she was incapable of, the younger girl had excelled at. Pitch showed them the three different sizes of wood they were looking for and where to stack what they gathered.

Once they had enough wood, another counselor called them over to a table. "That's Pongo," Beca whispered to Emily. "She's the one who taught me how to make the leather bracelets."

Pongo introduced herself and explained that today they were going to learn some basic knots that could be used in survival situations. She placed her hand on some of the various types of rope on the table. "One of the most useful type of rope is paracord." She looked at Beca. "Beca? Right? Your paracord bracelet please?"

Beca unclasped her woven bracelet and handed it over. Pongo flipped open a large knife and acted like she was going to cut it. The camper lunged towards the counselor. "NO! That's mine." She was frantic she was about to lose the bracelet she'd made the day before.

Pongo chuckled and tossed it back to a frowning Beca. "Just kidding. But many hikers depend on those for survival. Keep that in mind." The campers went through learning about half a dozen knots. Pongo distributed a few lengths of cord to the campers who wanted to practice later.

As they made their way to the lodge after lunch, Beca was excited as she recounted all the things the bracelets could help them do if they were indeed in survival mode. While Emily was tickled that Beca was excited, she didn't understand most of what Beca was saying but trusted the older camper would be by her side if they ever got lost in a forest – wearing a trusty paracord bracelet.

* * *

When the Hofwyl unit returned from lunch, Beca couldn't help but to see a broad smile form on Chloe's face as they got closer to the unit shelter. She didn't even want to listen to what Pitch had to say and went immediately to her cabin. Her stomach dropped when she opened the screened-in door. Not only was her cot perfectly made, her shower shoes and extra tennis shoes were lined up. Then she saw her shelf. Everything had been cleared from her shelf and rearranged, even her journals. Her cup she used to hold her pens had been covered with daisy shelf paper. Daisies!

Beca yanked her trunk from beneath her bed and opened it. Every bit of clothing had been refolded and organized into sections. She looked around the cabin. The tie-dye bandanas Emily had made for everyone in the cabin were tied to the cots, each in precisely the same position. Chloe. Chloe Beale. Beca had done her best to try to avoid the redhead, but apparently the situation with the bracelets had affected her more than Beca had realized. She grabbed the edge of her cot and roared as she flipped it over, knocking over her shelf in the process and scattering her things across the cabin.

The cabin door opened about that time. "Beca?" Stacie walked up behind her and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.

Beca brushed Stacie's hand away. "Get your hand off me. Now. Don't touch me. Don't touch my stuff." Beca's eyes were tearing up as she began to clean up her mess. Stacie went back outside and motioned for Emily to hurry. She also held Chloe from entering.

"Beca?"

"Leave me alone Ems," Beca barked. She was embarrassed for her friend to see her like this. Emily righted Beca's shelf and began to pick up strewn items while Beca put her cot back together. Once everything was almost back to the way Beca wanted it, Emily sat on Beca's cot. This time it was the shorter camper leaning into her for emotional support. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm just so mad angry, infuriated even. I don't like when she messes with my stuff."

"You let me."

"That's different; you're Emily."

"She means well Beca. Come on, let's lay down." Emily shoved Beca's cot against the wall and lay down with her back pressed against the wall, pulling Beca into her. She felt the moment her friend fell asleep as the tension left her body when her muscles relaxed. At some time, the other two campers came in and quietly went to their own areas.

When Emily was sure Beca was fast asleep, she got up and moved to her own cot so Beca wouldn't be embarrassed when she work up. As she did so, she shot a disappointed look at Chloe. The redhead had to have known that Beca's reaction would not be positive. Yet Chloe did not seem chagrined in the least with the smug look plastered on her face.

* * *

After Turtle Time, Beca tried to act as though she was fine. Emily could sense that she was still upset but did her best to normalize the situation so Beca could enjoy the rest of the day. Sure enough, once the campers got started learning how to build campfires, Beca was back to her teasing, joke-making self.

The Leaders-In-Training group took charge of the fire-making activity, the first where they would be directing and assisting campers from start to finish. There were more LITs than just Chloe and Stacie, so Beca and Emily chose to stay away from their own cabinmates. Of course, Chloe had probably convinced Stacie to work with other groups so she could avoid Beca.

One of the other counselors not aware of the conflict did encourage the LITs to walk amongst all the campers to ensure they were properly stacking wood in the pre-dug fire pits and to check the wood pile before giving the campers permission to try to light their fires. When Chloe got near Beca, the smaller camper tensed up. Emily placed a calming hand on her shoulder to make sure her friend didn't explode in fury again.

When Beca and Emily got their small fire started, Beca couldn't resist standing up and announcing, "this… is my claim to  _flame_!"

Emily was giggling as she retorted, "that's a bit  _match_ , don't you think?"

The other campers around them laughed, so that made Emily feel that Beca's mood might be out of the danger zone.

* * *

Beca took another quick shower that night. She returned to the cabin and emptied her shower caddy into her trunk and went back outside. She had something in mind but wasn't tall enough to do it on her own and moving cots would make a horrible scraping noise. Beca didn't think she could talk Emily into helping her, but Stacie on the other hand…

"Come on Stace. I just need to borrow your shoulders for a minute or two. It's not like I'm heavy; I'm tiny. You know that." Beca was pleading for help. "What she did was wrong, and this is just like… me evening the score. Again."

Against her better judgement, Stacie decided to help. She boosted Beca up to sit on her shoulders and complete her deed. "I promise I won't bring your name up. Thanks pal." Beca ran back to the latrine to wash out her shower caddy.

Since the rain had gone away and the wood had dried up, the counselors made a fire in the pit for the campers to sit around and enjoy the cooler weather. The heat of the Georgia summers didn't often allow for this, so they took advantage every chance they got.

"Your last name is Junk? Your dad must have been razzed a lot at school." One of the counselors was curious about Emily's last name.

"Junk is actually my mother's maiden name. I get a lot of nonsense from people about this name, but my parents went with this last name intentionally because my father's last name, 'Hardon', would have been even worse."

Everyone around the campfire sat in stunned silence, even the counselors.

"Relax," she said nervously. "It's a joke."

Before the counselors could even respond about the appropriateness of Emily's 'joke' around the younger campers (who probably didn't get it anyway), a shriek came from Cabin Three. Beca pulled the strings on her hoodie to cover her face, leaving only her nose poking out.

"Beca! Beca Mitchell!" Chloe's voice rang out. The tone was a mix between panic and stress.

Pitch, who was sitting at the campfire, motioned to the camper who had peeked from beneath her hoodie. "Come with me Beca." They walked to the cabin. When they opened the door, leaves were everywhere, and everywhere was an understatement. Chloe was close to sobbing. Pitch ran to her and wrapped her arms around her. "What's wrong Chlo?"

"Aubrey… I mean Pitch." Chloe hugged the counselor then pointed at Beca. "She's being mean to me. All I'm trying to do is keep the cabin clean so we can win. First she put pine cones in my sleeping bag and now this." She motioned to the leaves that were scattered over every surface. "I came in after my shower, turned on the ceiling fan, and this. There's no way I can clean this up by the time we leave for breakfast tomorrow."

Pitch looked at Beca who was sitting on her cot with a sullen look on her face. "Well?"

"She touches my stuff. I mean, makes my bed and folds my clothes and today, she even rearranged everything on my shelf."

"She's a slob." Pitch shot her friend a glare and motioned for Chloe to be quiet and let Beca talk.

"I don't like people touching my stuff. It's private."

"Here's what we are going to do," Pitch calmly said. "If you two can keep from fighting tonight, we are going to go to breakfast in the morning. Then all three of us are going to come back here after breakfast and clean the cabin."

"But I'll miss leadership class." Chloe's whining grated on Beca's nerves.

"And I'll miss underwater basket weaving." Beca rolled her eyes. She had no sympathy for the sobbing redhead.

"Chloe do you want the cabin cleaned by inspection tomorrow? If so, this is the only choice. Otherwise we can do it during your swim time in the afternoon." The girls agreed to miss swim time to thoroughly clean the cabin with Pitch there to supervise and mediate.

* * *

"What you are doing is called bullying Beca." Pitch was sweeping leaves right alongside the two girls. "And that's unacceptable here at Camp Barden."

"Humpft." Beca made a disgusted sound as she held the dustpan to collect the debris from her broom. "I call what  _she_  does an evasion of privacy."

"I just like a clean cabin Beca." Chloe's voice was shrill and irritating.

"No, you like the award."

Pitch laughed softly. "She has your number Chlo." She pulled out some rags and spray cleaner. "I think if we wipe down everything, this ordeal will be about over."

Beca was quick to speak. "I've got my corner… and Emily's." Then under her voice she muttered. "I don't like my stuff touched."

"I UNDERSTAND BECA." Chloe was upset.

While Beca would not admit to bullying, both campers did agree to stop their feud. Chloe would leave Beca's things alone. Beca would do her best to keep her area suitable for inspection.

"I don't mind helping," Chloe suggested Beca glared at the redhead. "Without touching, of course."

"And I will not  _bully_  you anymore. Even though it wasn't bullying, more payback. But I'll leave you alone long as you leave my stuff alone."

After lights out, Cabin Three was almost asleep when a shout came from across the unit. "Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, Mitchell!"

Stacie sat up and looked towards the counselor cabin. "What did you do to Pitch Becs?"

"I promised I wouldn't bug Chloe anymore," Beca snickered.

"But what did you do to Pitch?"

"Short-sheeted her cot."

* * *

Days passed quickly now that Beca and Chloe had called a silent truce between them. The atmosphere in the cabin was much more pleasant now that Chloe and Beca weren't at each other's throats constantly. Those two weren't exactly friends, but they weren't enemies either which helped tremendously.

Emily and Beca enjoyed spending the mornings together doing various activities – more arts and crafts, knots, and all sorts of things that before coming to camp, Beca would have sworn she would have never enjoyed. The taller camper had come completely how of her shell and continuously teased Beca about how she was becoming a regular outdoors kind of gal.

Another exciting area of camp was the Low Ropes and High Ropes courses. The Hofwyl was made up of many first-time campers, so they were restricted to the activities on the Low Ropes course. Because they were scheduled to do Ropes in the afternoon, the entire unit was there – including Chloe, Stacie and the other LITs.

The first activity was the low trust fall designed to build trust. Pitch and Tigger demonstrated. Pitch stood in front of Tigger with her arms crossed across her chest, eyes closed. "Ready," she called.

"Ready," Tigger answered.

"Falling." With her eyes closed, she fell backwards as Tigger caught her by scooping her arms under Pitch's.

"And we do this why?" Beca tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice but was honestly curious.

"This is one way to show the people we are around that we trust them." Pitch and Tigger switched places and showed the group again as Tigger fell backwards with no hesitation.

As the campers started to pair up, Pitch pulled Chloe and Beca to one side. "I'd like to pair you together girls. Maybe this is just what you need to put your struggles behind you." Despite both campers' protests, Pitch insisted.

Beca stood with her arms crossed. "Why can't I pair with Emily?"

The redhead looked as though she was almost afraid to answer. "Beca, do you really think you are strong enough to catch her?"

"Do you really trust me enough to catch  _you_?" The brunette glared. But Chloe nodded her head. "Fine," Beca snapped. "Let's get this over with." She stood in front of Chloe, crossed her arms over her chest, and closed her eyes. "Ready."

"Ready," Chloe answered.

Beca took a deep breath, steeling her confidence. "Falling." As she began to fall, her stomach lurched and she stumbled backwards, eyes flying open as she was unable to trust the redhead. "Sorry Chloe," Beca mumbled.

"That's okay. It's a scary feeling. Do you want to try again?" Beca shook her head in response. So, the girls changed positions. Surprisingly Chloe had no problems trusting Beca enough to fall backwards.

"You trust me?" Beca's incredulous voice showed her surprise. Chloe nodded and softly asked Beca if she wanted to try her fall again. However, Beca's nerves would not allow her to fully trust Chloe to catch her. She knew getting past her trust issues would take more than a simple ropes activity.

* * *

Now that the trust activity was over, the campers moved to one designed to emphasis teamwork and problem solving. Pitch stopped the campers next to two tall, straight trees which had a web of ropes strung between them. She and Tigger were facilitating the activity. Tigger explained the situation to the girls. "You heard about lost treasure that is hidden in some caves in a remote part of the woods outside of camp. In the cave the furthest from their unit, the treasure was found."

Pitch picked up the story. "Unfortunately, a huge spider spun a web, trapping all of you in the cave. You have to get through that web without touching it." The girls were giggling at the story. "Seriously! The strands are extremely tacky and just brushing against a strand will get you stuck!"

Tigger stepped towards the web and motioned to a hole. "The web is very strong and sticky and quite sensitive. The vibrations of someone passing through a hole causes it to close to any other campers. Strangely enough, the web can withstand hands and arms reaching through, just not whole bodies. As people are passed through, we'll mark the closed holes with clothes pins."

The campers huddled together to plan for the task. They decided to send the shortest and lightest campers like Chloe and Beca through the top holes. The two tallest campers were Stacie and Emily. They would be taking the lowest holes. One would go through first to help as campers were passed through, then the other would be last. Wisely, the campers planned out which holes most of the campers would go through.

Because she was older and stronger, Stacie chose to stay inside the "cave" so she could help pass the other campers through holes. They sent a few of the moderate sized campers through their holes in the middle of the web so that people would be able to "catch" campers as they came through the higher holes.

Beca and Chloe were two of the first campers to go through the top holes. Although they still were not talking much to each other, they managed to set their differences aside to work on the mission. The task was challenging but the unit only lost three campers to the web. All in all, the task was a fun venture into team building.

* * *

During the last week of camp, all the yellow wrist band swimmers got a chance to retake their swim test to earn a blue band. Even though all the campers would be allowed to swim in the lake, the campers with yellow bands would be restricted from certain areas and the red bands would always be required to wear a life jacket. Beca gave a sigh of relief when both she and Emily qualified for the highest band since she could not imagine hanging out without Emily.

Now that the entire lake was open to them during free swim, Beca's favorite activity was the thirty-foot slide. Because it was so tall, everyone still had to wear life jackets, but that was okay. Once the girls climbed to the top of slide, they went down one at a time – arms crossed and feet first. The exhilaration of the journey down the slide and hitting the water was indescribable.

Emily's preferred lake activity was the huge inflatable air balloon. The campers climbed up on a tall wooden platform and leap off onto the huge bladder. Emily jumped first and bounced a few times. When Beca landed after her, Emily was launched into the air as she shrieked in delight. The camper after Beca hurled her into the air. Both campers agreed that they had been missing out on ultimate free swims and vowed to start off with blue bands the next summer.

* * *

Too soon, the three weeks of camp time was over. "I'm going to miss you Beca." Emily was wiping tears from her face. "Can we just live here forever?"

Beca sat next to her friend and put her arms around her. "Ems… it's not the end of the world. Outside of this place," she motioned around, "there is technology. Things called cell phones and FaceTime and Skype. We only live a few hours apart. Maybe one of our parents will drive us for a visit."

The girls exchanged numbers, well Beca didn't with Chloe but she did with Stacie and Emily. They all agreed they would be back the next summer. All their things were packed, and luggage was piled outside the cabin, ready to be picked up by the camp crew.

The girls of the Hofwyl unit walked towards the lodge, singing silly camp songs on the top of their lungs – each camper using this as a distraction from ache each felt in their chest about leaving their friends, both new and old. Many of the parents had already arrived, waiting to see their girls who had gotten three weeks older but grown so much more emotionally.

Closing ceremony was always emotional for campers and counselors alike. The difficulty of explaining the connections that were formed to parents never got easier. Each unit performed a quick skit and the campers sang camp songs, fun and serious alike. Another round of tearful goodbyes and each girl went her separate way.

* * *

True to her word, Beca texted Emily often, and they had regular Skype visits through the rest of the summer. "I told my mom all about you Beca. She wants to meet you."

The shorter girl rolled her eyes. "No, she doesn't. I don't do well with parents. Tell her I'm actually just a figment of your imagination."

The friends also had a group text that included Stacie but not Chloe (of course). As the girls got ready for the first day of school, their conversation died down some. Emily was headed into her last year of middle school. Beca was extremely nervous about her first year of high school. But Stacie knew that her sophomore year would bring more of the same rigmarole as the year before.

The week before school started, Emily blew up Beca's phones with pictures of outfits. She couldn't decide what to wear on the first day of school. Of course, this was the most important thing for an eight-grade girl such as Emily.

"Who are you and what have you done with my camp buddy?" Beca teased. "Seriously though, I may not be the best person in helping you pick out clothes. I'm not exactly a fashionista. Why don't you try Stacie?"

"She says  _yes_  to everything I send her except skirts. With those, she tells me 'shorter'." Emily's face turned crimson. "Ugh. Hey – what are you wearing first day?" Beca told her it was a surprise and wouldn't go into details.

It was indeed a surprise on the first because neither Emily nor Stacie could stop laughing when Beca texted them a selfie of herself in front of her new high school. Beca was wearing tattered jeans and the tie-dye shirt Emily had made her at Camp Barden. "Told you this was going to be what I wore on the first day of school." Emily returned the text with a picture of herself crying because she was laughing so hard, and Stacie's picture was an expression of 'WTF'.


	4. Stormy Weather - Year 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Year 15, Part 1  
> Beca is 15, Chloe and Stacie are 16, Emily is 14, Aubrey is 18

 

Beca felt like she should skip to her unit from the pool. Around her wrist was a blue band. The previous summer, she was a blue band for only the last week. But now she was one for the entire session. No swim lessons. No boring free swims in the safe pool which was exciting.

This year she was assigned to the Echota unit. When she found that out during check-in, her stomach dropped. She felt could handle if she was separated from Stacie, but Emily… if she wasn't in the same unit as Emily, she knew she wouldn't have nearly as much fun as she had last year.

When she walked into the unit, Beca stopped.  _Fuck_. Her heart sank. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Hi Beca. It seems as though we will be spending the summer together. Again."

"Hey Pitch." Beca mumbled. "Cabin?"

"Number Two. And Beca, no pranks this year, okay?"

"Sure Pitch, and it's great to see you, too." Bea could not hold the sarcasm from her voice as she headed towards her cabin. She pushed open the door to the cabin and about fell over backward when a body came flying at her.

"Beca! I thought they separated us." Emily was shrieking as she jumped up and down, hugging Beca at the same time. "But then I saw your trunk. I got so excited."

"Wow, this is a big cabin," Beca said nonchalantly. She was playing it cool and trying to not show her joy and relief at seeing Emily.

"Yeah twenty campers, ten per side. But no latrines this year! The showers and toilets are in the middle section. Awesome, huh?" The younger girl was bubbling over with enthusiasm, much like how Beca felt about being back at Camp Barden but did not outwardly show.

Beca noticed that the two cots across from them didn't have luggage sitting beside them, the only two empty cots in the larger cabin. "We have this whole corner to ourselves this year?" She pulled her trunk to the cot next to Emily's. "I can't believe we are back at camp." Beca made up her cot and unpacked her trunk the best she could. Taking a break, she patted the mattress beside her. "Come talk to me. Catch me up on the last few weeks. I feel like we haven't talked in forever."

Emily plunked herself down on Beca's bed, happy that Beca didn't mind when she got a little needy. The friends did talk on the phone a lot but hadn't seen each other since Spring Break when Emily had gone to stay with Beca for the week. "You are fifteen, right?" Emily's question was guarded.

"Last time I checked." Beca toyed with the leather bracelet on Emily's wrist. "Looks good now that it's all weathered and stuff."

"So, are you doing LIT this summer? You're old enough now." Emily voice was cautious. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer, but she needed to. If Beca chose to take LIT this summer, that would cut into their time together.

"Pshaw Ems. Do you really see me taking  _leadership_  classes? They'd kick me out for sure. Naw, I'm with you." She turned to Emily with a grin and put up her fist for a fist bump.

"Score!"

The two friends headed to the campfire circle to sit on the singing logs and visit with other campers as everyone checked in and got settled in their cabins. Some of the girls they knew from the previous year while others were new. As their eyes roamed around the unit, Beca's eyes settled on the steps of the counselor cabin. "What the hell is that?" She pointed.

Emily looked over, exploring the object with her eyes. The statue was an old man with Santa Clause like facial hair – white sideburns, white, bushy mustache and long, white beard. He was wearing a tall, pointed, red hat, a gray tunic, green pants brown belt and boots. "Ummmm it looks like a gnome."

Pitch walked up to the singing logs and sat on the log with her legs crossed. "It is… his name is Knobby. Knobby the Gnome." Beca didn't even try to hold back her guffaws. "He's our mascot this year. The red hat is so birds don't attack." Pitch ignored Beca's laughing and let the girls know it was time for dinner and that they should make sure they didn't need anything from their cabin before the unit left.

Beca's head was turned, talking to Emily, as she went into the cabin. She froze before getting in all the way, causing her friend to run into her back. "Becs?"

"Fuck." Two more campers had moved into Cabin One while they had been out at the fire circle. The one caddy-corner to hers had exploded in pink, complete with a pink sleeping bag and a ladybug plush pillow. "Chloe Beale."

* * *

"I can't believe the Counselor-In-Training cabin is full." Chloe was whining to Stacie as they walked to dinner. "And they put us in a cabin with  _her_. I hope we can get some campers on the other side to switch places with us. I don't think I can stand being that close to her again."

Stacie chuckled "Beca's not that bad. I got to know her pretty well during the school year. We talked on the phone a lot. After my birthday, when I got my driver's license, I drove to see her during part of Spring Break. Emily was there, too."

Chloe glared at her taller friend. "You never told me that."

"I knew you didn't like her Chloe. I figured it would just cause problems. All we did was hang out listening to some of Beca's mixes and went to Six Flags one day."

"Stace – you have to back me up this year. We are CIT's together. I mean, we choose our camp names tomorrow, and we start working with the younger campers. If we let one camper do mean pranks, that undermines our authority." Chloe was remembering the things Beca had pulled on her last summer in retribution for the redhead cleaning the cabin. "Please?"

The brunette CIT draped her arm around her friend's shoulders as she chose to not address Chloe's concerns. "This is going to be a great summer."

* * *

As Emily and Beca had both attended camp last year and were now in Echota together, they had access to different activities, more advanced than before. Archery, crafts, knots – as well as new ones such as outdoor cooking and most exciting of all, the high ropes course.

During archery, both girls had improved drastically. Emily's skills were impressive compared to last year as every arrow hit the target and many approached or hit the bullseye. Beca had almost mastered her archery skills last year and had started having Emily call colors of the target for her to hit. Making a game of the sport was much more entertaining.

Once the girls in their unit saw how good Beca was, they began calling for a competition between her and Pitch, the most talented staff archer. The blonde counselor rolled her eyes and resisted until her fellow archery staff began the taunts as well.

Finally Pitch relented and the other counselors pinned a tic-tac-toe target on top of the hay bales. She was grouchy about having to compete against the camper who was the bane of her camp existence and insisted on using the red arrows, leaving blue ones for Beca. "I go first." The range master, Tigger, called the range hot, and Pitch strung up her first arrow, pulled back and fired. The arrow thwacked into the center square.

"Beginner's play," Beca scoffed. She notched her first arrow and let it fly into one of the corners. The two archers continued until Tigger called a scratch, otherwise known as a draw. "My turn to go first." She played tic-tac-toe a lot at school, and unless her opponent knew her strategy, she always won.

When the camper's first arrow hit a corner square, Pitch pumped her fist and gave Tigger a high-five. Her red arrow flew into the center square since center blocks any thing from the corner. Right? Beca aimed her second arrow into the corner diagonal from her first. "Since I blocked you, you are just goofing off, huh Mitchell." Pitch chose one of the other corners.

Beca just chuckled and selected the last corner for her blue arrow. Pitch tilted her head sideways as she looked at the target, frowning. Emily saw what her friend had done and began to cheer. "Ahhhhhhhhh snap." She grabbed Beca and swung her around. "There's no beating that. She can't block you. Anywhere she shoots, you have tic-tac-toe. Boo ya." The younger camper was ecstatic for her friend.

Pitch didn't try to hide the disgust she felt of being beat by Beca. The camper approached her, hand out in a congratulatory manner. The counselor rolled her eyes, did a quick handshake before helping her fellow counselors put up the equipment.

* * *

Stacie and Chloe continued to have leadership classes, but they had identified camp skills at which they were particularly interested or talented in and would pair with older counselors to work with campers in these areas. Stacie excelled in swimming and water activities while Chloe was going to work with nature and arts and crafts.

The last step was for them to choose camp names. To the campers, they would no longer be known as Chloe and Stacie. This was an exciting moment because they were officially moving further away from being campers to counselors. They went into the crafts room and made leather name tags with their new identities. The next time they stepped in front of the campers, they would adopt their new personas.

* * *

After lunch when Echota returned to their unit, Emily excited recanted their morning, complete with how Beca smashed Pitch in the tic-tac-toe competition. "I bet she was pissed," Stacie chuckled.

Chloe didn't speak as she grabbed a book and headed out to another cabin. "Where's she headed?" Beca knew that Turtle Time was sacred and not negotiable.

"Well, CIT's have more flexibility. We can choose where to spend the down time, and I think Chloe is going to the other CIT cabin."

"She hates me," Beca said without much care of conviction.

Stacie didn't disagree but changed the subject. "Oh, Chlo and I changed our names this morning." She grinned at her cabinmates.

"Oh my stars. You got your camp names this morning." Emily sat up on her cot. "Well…"

Stacie held up her name tag and pointed to herself. "Meet 'Mama Long Legs'."

"You didn't!" Beca was laughing at her friend.

"Legs for short. I was surprised it was approved. But from here on out, you gotta call me Legs."

"Do I have to keep a straight face when I do it?"

* * *

During their swim test, Emily and Beca had both graduated to blue bands thus did not have to take swim lessons. They headed to the lake for free swim for the first hour of the afternoon. They also had water activities scheduled for that day as well. Imagine their surprise when Stacie walked up to introduce the afternoon activity.

"Hi girls. My name is Mama Long Legs, but you can call me Legs. Today we are going to try a new thing here on Lake Barden – stand-up paddle boarding. Now I know you are all blue bands, but because this is a new activity, everyone is going to wear a life jacket." As the girls picked up their vests, Legs handed each girl a whistle to hang around her neck. "In case you need help. Plus, if you ever SUP away from camp, you have to have a warning signal for other boats."

Despite Legs being so tall, she was surprisingly agile. She demonstrated proper standing up techniques, staying balanced, and paddling. She also showed what to do if someone should fall off and how to get back on the board. "SUP strokes are the same as what you learned for canoeing – there's the forward stroke." She took a few strokes forward. "The back stroke." She stroked backwards in the water. "And the sweeping stroke for turning." She completed a 360-turn.

Each girl got about thirty-minutes of board time which was more than enough in the afternoon heat which was capable of just sucking the energy right out of the campers. The others sat under the shade of one of the camp's old sprawling oak trees. They were excited that they were the first to use the SUP boards,  _and_  the counselor in charge of teaching them was a CIT from their own unit.

* * *

"Stacie, I know you have some clear fingernail polish hidden over there." Beca tried to keep the excitement out of her voice so that Stacie wouldn't get suspicious but of course she did. "Come on," she whined. When her new friend cocked up one eyebrow, Beca pulled her hair to one side and tucked it behind an ear. "If I tell you, that makes you an accomplice."

The CIT grinned. "And what if I want to be an accomplice…?" She stared at Beca hard. "Is it for Chloe or Pitch?"

"What if I said both?" Beca had a devilish look on her face.

"I shouldn't help, but I want to!" Stacie was laughing. The girls discussed how Beca was not allowed in the counselor hut where Pitch kept her shower supplies, so Stacie would take care of her if Beca would handle Chloe.

"So just coat the bar of soap completely with the clear polish. Every bit. Or it won't work. Keeps the soap from lathering. I read on the internet that it's frustrating as hell." Beca demonstrated as she coated Chloe's soap bar then gingerly put it back in her caddy to dry.

Stacie laughed as she high-fived Beca. "Just a harmless practical joke, right?"

"Right. Not bullying."

CIT's were allowed to take morning showers, so Beca got one last good night of sleep before finding how Chloe would react to her prank. The redhead always got up early, and Beca listened carefully to be sure she'd be ready for her return.

She must have dozed off again because the next thing Beca knew, she was jolted awake as her head and half her body was drenched with cold water. She quickly sat up and saw Chloe standing a few feet away with a now empty bucket. Chloe didn't say anything, just threw her sabotaged bar of soap at Beca and went out to help some younger cabins get ready for breakfast.

When Beca looked over at her camp buddy, Emily had her fist shoved in her mouth to muffle the laughing. When she had herself under control, she said, "Well you can't say you didn't deserve that Beca."

* * *

Imagine Beca's surprise when she and Emily showed up to Vitamin N class that morning to find the lead counselor was none other than Chloe. Emily stuck her sharp elbow into her friend's ribs to stop the audible groan which had escaped.

"Hi girls. I'm Redbird." Beca's eyes widened as she turned to her fellow camper and mouthed  _Redbird?._  "Welcome to Vitamin N Squared, your advanced nature class." Her sweet chipperness almost gave Beca a cavity. "I know you've had some exposure to plants and trees. Today we are going to talk about berries."

The redhead went on to explain the edible nature of certain berries. "And Camp Barden even has patches of wild blackberries." Redbird had the group spread out and collect small pails of blackberries and elderberries. She also had them to pick Black-Eyed Susan flowers but wouldn't tell them why.

Beca did an excellent job of avoiding the CIT and keeping her mouth shut when she had so many retorts waiting to spill out during class. She and Emily simply listened to the CIT and obeyed the directions of Redbird. Despite Beca's personal issues with the CIT, she had decided to respect Chloe in front of the other campers.

* * *

A bolt of jagged light struck right across the lake along with an instantaneous crash of thunder, rattling the frame of the Echota cabin. Beca stretched her legs out beneath her sheet, poking a foot from under her sheet. She rolled over to get a better look at the storm. The screened-in windows provided an excellent view of the electrical storm. The lightening periodically lit up the night sky like daylight and thunder shook the cabin floor like an eighteen-wheel truck passing a Prius in a windstorm.

Beca always loved summer storms. The reverberation of the thunder was reminiscent of the beats she mixed when she was home. This electrical storm was her favorite type because it was not accompanied by annoying rain which makes for a messy following day as the campers had to tromp through the mud and muck.

This storm was lasting a particularly long time which was fine with Beca, the longer, the better. Perfect sleeping weather. The tiny camper turned back over and snuggled down to fall back to sleep. As she closed her eyes to sleep, she heard a whimper coming from within the cabin. Beca sat up listening to determine if someone was having a nightmare.

Beca crawled out of bed and padded around the cabin until she found the source of the whimpering. A fellow camper was curled up beneath a sheet and thin blanket. With each crash of thunder, the lump shook and gave a small cry. Beca looked around at the belongings and realized that the terrified camper was Chloe. As much as she and the redhead did not get along, Beca couldn't let her nemesis lay here alone when she was obviously terrified.

The jokester squatted down, put her arm around Chloe and squeezed. "Chloe… are you okay? It's Beca." The redhead scooted as close to the edge of her cot and to Beca as she could get. Each time the thunder would crash, she let out another whimper. Beca wasn't quite sure what to do so she sat cross-legged on the cabin floor, slid her arm around the redhead, and pressed her forehead against Chloe's which was still buried under the covers, whispering comforting words to the older CIT.

Before Beca knew it, dawn was breaking across the sky. Her butt was sore from sitting on the floor for so long. When the electrical storm had stopped, Chloe had emerged from her cocoon of covers and had latched onto Beca's arm with a death grip. Her mop of curly red hair seemed to stick out every which way. Beca eased herself out of Chloe's clutch and tiptoed back over to her own cot to try to get a bit more sleep before morning wake-up call.

* * *

At wake-up Beca struggled to open her eyes. Emily came over and crouched down beside her cot. "You okay? Looks like that storm kept you up last night. How much sleep did you get?"

Beca did not want to say anything about spending most of the night comforting Chloe. She wasn't sure how the redhead would react the next morning now that the perceived danger was over. "Mmm I'm okay Ems. Thanks." The tiny camper pulled herself out of her cot and quickly readied for the day. She felt guilty for not being honest with her best friend, but she didn't see a reason to embarrass Chloe.

* * *

Chloe avoided Beca during breakfast which was confusing. Hadn't the brunette camper helped her through her stressful night? The longer Beca thought about it, the more frustrated she got. She knew that she and Chloe had never really gotten along, but she'd hoped that the night before would have melted some of the ice between them. Then again, what did she expect when Beca had always treated Chloe poorly. Did she really think that one night would make up for that?

When the unit went to crafts and learned that Redbird was also teaching that class, Beca groaned out of instinct. However, this time, she did not share her misgivings with Emily. The CIT explained that the group would be recycling scrap paper to make their own paper. "I know it seems silly to use paper to make paper, but it's a good way to cut down on waste in the landfills." Chloe's voice was chipper and displayed no outward sign of the trauma she'd experienced the night before.

The tables had some wooden frames with screens as bottoms, tubs, and lots of scrap paper. The campers were instructed to tear scrap pieces of paper into small pieces, maybe one-inch square, or so. These were then put into hot water to soak. Redbird set these aside explaining that she had some that already been soaking a while and theirs would be used for another group.

Following the directions given, Beca put more water and some of the paper into a blender and blended the mixture into a slurry which was poured into a tub. She and Emily took turns dipping their wooden frames into the tub to fill them with fibers. They drained the water and used their hands to press even more water out of the paper.

Emily carefully flipped her frame upside down onto a towel and lifted the frame, leaving the paper. She covered this with another towel and used a bottle to roll along the top to squeeze out yet more water and to align the fibers. Beca asked Emily to get her paper out of her frame, too, because she was afraid of messing it up. Finally, the girls labeled their towels so they could come back the next day and claim their dried paper.

"That was pretty neat. Redbird is a super good teacher." Emily had been increasingly impressed with their cabin mate as Chloe taught them more things. Beca mumbled something under her breath as they finished cleaning up their area and got ready to go to lunch.

As the campers were leaving, Redbird called after them. "Beca could you stay back a minute? Help me with some supplies?" Beca rolled her eyes and told Emily she'd be along shortly and went back into the crafts room. Chloe shut the door behind her cabin mate.

"Is this where you dip me in a vat of acid where nobody can even find my bones?" Beca didn't mean for her sarcasm to come out with such a bite; it was just who she was.

"No. I didn't mean to ignore you this morning; I guess I was embarrassed. But I wanted to thank you."

"For?" Beca was leaning against the door jamb with her arms crossed.

"For… helping me last night. Storms, well, storms terrify me. They always have. I thought I had grown out of it, but I guess not. Thank you Beca. I know you don't like me much, and you could have easily ignored me and gone back to sleep.

Beca shoved har hands into her pockets. "Naw. You were keeping me awake. Seriously Chloe. No big deal."

"It's a big deal for me." Chloe shot forward, wrapped her arms around Beca, and gave her a tremendous hug.

Beca fought all her instincts to not fight against Chloe's affection. "S'ok Chloe. You can let go now."


	5. Kickin' It Like Katniss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Echota campers head out to Barden Arena for a little roughing it and competition for gifts from their sponsors. ~ Oh and Beca... well you'll see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, those who consider a hotel with your kids roughing it, brace yourself. You know who you are.

 

After her conversation and shocking hug from Chloe, Beca headed out to the dining hall to find Emily. "You two didn't have another fight, did you?" Emily was concerned as she had made her purpose this summer to quell the feud between her two cabin mates. Beca shook her head but didn't say much. The taller girl was used to Beca's sullen moods and decided to ride it out. Eventually her friend would talk to her.

After lunch, the shorter camper made a quick nip back inside the craft room and found the cabinet of paracord. She found a few rolls of different shades of pink and red cord and hid them in her bag. Apparently, she and Chloe had turned a corner, so she wanted to put forth some effort into make sure she didn't backslide. Beca wasn't sure why she felt the need to do this, but she did.

* * *

After Turtle Time, Pitch called Echota unit to the firepit, and the campers settled on the singing logs. "Girls, today we are going to start 'Kickin' with Katniss', an outdoor camping experience like no other." She explained how the girls would pair up and start off with some basic gear like a tarp, some paracord, and a couple of matches. "We'll make sure you don't get hungry, but the same as in the movie, you will have chances to earn luxury items from your sponsors by excelling in different skills you've learned." She sent them back to their cabins with a basic packing list for their few days actually camping – at camp.

Emily grabbed Beca's hand and swung it back and forth as they walked towards Cabin Two. "She said they'd have outdoor sleeping bags for those of us who don't want to use our own bedroll."

Chloe walked up behind them and whispered. "Can I give you a hint? Take your own bedroll, too. You can use the sleeping bags for padding and your bedroll for cover. The ground is going to be awfully hard." Then she skipped ahead of them as if she'd never spoken.

Emily was shocked. "What was that about?" Beca just shrugged and double checked her packed bag. She looked around the cabin searching for anything extra they might need, glad she had grabbed the extra paracord after lunch. Once the girls were finished packing, they headed back to the center of the unit.

Once the unit had reached their destination, the pairs were pointed to their areas which, right now, consisted of two trees with a wooden crate of supplies nearby containing a sleeping bag, two canteens of water, a tarp, matches, a whistle, a knife, and a few lengths of rope.

Pitch stood before all the campers and spoke. "You are all now in the Barden Arena and in survival mode. The 'Rule of Three' says that you can go three minutes without air, three hours without shelter from heat or cold, three days without water, and three weeks without food."

Another counselor stepped forward to continue. "Of course, we'll never let anything happen to you, but many of our challenges during our time together will focus on tasks related to the 'Rule of Three'. First, we are going to concentrate on a shelter to protect you from the heat of the Georgia sun and the elements such as rain. Using what's been provided, fashion a shelter suitable for those needs. May the odds be ever in your favor!"

Emily and Baca had both excelled in knots classes, especially after their refresher courses last week with Pongo, so they made short work of building a sturdy, taut lean-to under which they could sleep. No sooner had they finished, they heard a noise akin to a bicycle bell ringing. "What the…"

"Heck?" Emily finished for her sometimes foul-mouthed friend.

Pongo walked over and tossed a cloth parachute towards them with a message wrapped around a stick. Emily unwrapped the message then quickly looked around. About fifty feet away was a medium-sized bundle. She ran over to retrieve the package and came back to their lean-to. Emily and Beca excitedly undid the rope around the bundle and found a two-person pup-tent inside.

Beca did a fist pump and high-fived Emily. "Our sponsors must love a job well done." As with the tarp lean-to, she and Emily quickly put up the tent. "We can use the lean-to to protect other things, but let's put our sleeping gear and clothes in here."

"I wonder what's next." Emily was always curious which kept her wanting to know what was coming. They took a seat under a large tree and watched other campers build their shelters.

* * *

When Pitch rolled out the archery equipment, Beca knew she'd be earning sponsor gifts with this activity, no matter how difficult the task. The tall, blonde counselor attached some kite string to some tree branches with a tennis ball at the end of each string. She explained that the balls, each with a prize inside, would be set into motion, swinging back and forth. There were four balls, but each pair of campers would get only three arrows. If a tennis ball was struck, the camper would take it back to her shelter. Their reward would be later revealed.

Beca studied the timing of the swinging balls. She released her first arrow which pierced a tennis ball with a solid thwack. She made fast work with her other three arrows, hitting three for three of the target balls. When Pitch called down-range safe, Emily excitedly ran to retrieve the arrows and the impaled balls.

A few other teams were successful in spearing at least one or two balls, but for the moat part the task proved to be difficult for the campers. Beca hid the balls in their storage crate for safe-keeping understanding that the reward they would bring had just become more valuable.

The campers learned that the next task involved building a camp fire. Legs motioned to two large wagons which had been pulled over to the counselors' area. "As it's getting close to dinner time, half of you will eat from each cart. Who eats from which will be determined by your skills building fires." The campers were given half an hour to build a small fire pit and to gather wood.

Once the time was up, the girls noticed that their previously dug fire pits had two metal stakes with a piece of thick twine tied tautly between the thin rods. "Each group has five matches in your crate. There are twenty pair of you campers. The first ten to get their fire high enough to burn through the twine completely… win."

Once they knew the task, Emily forced Beca to hold off on building the fire and to strategize first. "We will be able to be more organized and build a higher fire more quickly." Beca acquiesced, and the par quickly planned out their attack against the string.

They used thicker pieces of kindling to build the base and thinner kindling as they moved higher. Lots of tinder was placed inside the kindling. Since speed was a factor, they used an unorthodox method and stacked tinder all the way up so the fire would catch more quickly.

The first match Emily struck instantly snapped and was rendered useless. "Dadgum it. These must have wax on the heads." She scratched the wax from a second match and lit it. As she stuck the flame under the lowest level of tinder, the flame licked her hand. Frightened, the taller camper dropped the matched and watched as it fizzled out.

Beca was frantically looking around at the other teams. "Come on, come on, come on." A few groups already had a healthy flame going under their twine.

"I can't Becs. I don't like fire. You know that." Emily grabbed Beca and pulled her towards the wood and handed her the matches. The shorter camp grabbed a match, quickly scratched the wax off the head and struck it on their rock. She was able quickly to get the tinder lit and both campers began to gently feed the flames.

Shouts began to come from around the grounds as other groups burned their twine through. "Don't listen to them Beca. Just concentrate on ours." Finally, they finished their task and burned their rope through. They jumped up hugging each other, shouting they were done.

Legs shouted. "Beca and Emily are number nine. One more group! Come on girls. Let's cheer everyone on." After the tenth group burned through their twine, the campers continued to cheer the others until everyone was successful. Legs told the first ten to go ahead and add fuel, thicker pieces of wood, on their fires so they would build up for a while.

"Okay girls, I bet everyone is hot and sweaty! Change into your suits, and let's have free swim in the lake. Several counselors have offered to stay here and tend your fires. Let's go!"

* * *

After the free swim, the campers headed to the pool house to towel off and put on dry clothes. "I'm exhausted," Emily draped herself over Beca like the tiny camper could hold up the taller girl's weight.

Beca mock-stumbled under her friend's weight. "And hungry. I wonder what we 'won' for dinner." She rubbed her hands together greedily.

As the girls approached their camping area, the counselors asked the campers to split up into the top ten and the bottom ten pairs. The bottom ten rolled off their cart and opened it up to find peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with cartons of milk. There were also some baggies of veggies with small containers of dip.

The second group gathered around their cart and Redbird pulled out some ingredients. "This may not seem like a lot to you, but you are about to make yourself a hot 'one pot' dinner called a hobo packet. The kitchen has precut for us potatoes, carrots, and onions. Take your sheet of foil. Pile the veggies you want in the center, place your hamburger patty on top. There's also garlic powder, salt and pepper for those of you who like seasoning. Seal up the packs well. Each of your fires has burned down to coals. Just stick your hobo pack in the coals for about forty to forty-five minutes. Don't forget where you put yours!"

As the girls started to make their foil pack dinners, the counselors walked around to make sure they were doing things okay. When Redbird walked past Emily and Beca, she swatted Beca on the butt. "Hey!" Beca quickly protested. Emily held her breath, waiting for the explosion from her friend. "I'll get you back for that Redbird. Just you wait." Her voice was joking, and Emily could only hope that her friend had actually turned a corner where their cabin mate was concerned.

* * *

Once the campers with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches finished eating, they wandered over to look at what the other group made. As those girls were pulling their packets out of the fire and checking the doneness of their food, the others were oohing and ahhing in jealousy over the hot meal their friends were getting.

Beca shoved a fork full of vegetables and hamburger into her mouth. "Mmo oooh utoor mooin wu o boot?"

"What?" Emily shoved her friend. "Seriously Beca? Gross. Don't talk with your mouth full."

The smaller camper finished chewing and swallowed. She even took a drink of milk before trying again. "Who knew outdoor cooking was so good?"

"I know, right?"

As they finished, Pitch announced the teams who had earned tennis balls could bring one to the counselors' fire circle. "Okay campers. You now have a choice to make. Not all of you earned three balls. You can trade a ball for what's in this box. Or you can keep your balls. The choice is yours."

Emily turned to Beca. "We got all three balls, so I say we turn in a ball. Thoughts?"

Beca nodded. "Yup. Besides, we don't need no stinking balls." Of course, this comment caused Emily to blush. Beca picked a ball from their bag and walked towards the counselors. When she offered her ball, she was given a small bag. A handful of other girls who had also gotten at least one ball at the archery challenge exchanged theirs for a bag as well.

When all the girls had decided, Pitch told them to open their bag. Emily pulled out some more foil, bananas, chocolate chips, and mini-marshmallows. Pitch also pointed out some options over on a table that had been set up: hazelnut spread, caramel, shredded coconut, sliced strawberries, peanut butter, and all sorts of crushed up candy and cereal.

She explained to the campers how to make banana boats which could be cooked in the dying embers of their campfires. "If your embers are too low or if you weren't in a group that won the campfire challenge, you can use our fire."

Beca's look was one of pure skepticism until Emily jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow. "Whaaaa? Ow Ems." She frowned up at her friend. "That sounds disgusting."

"No, it doesn't. I bet it's yummy. We get to pick our own toppings, filling, whatever… And I have nobody but you to thank, my Katniss." The younger of the pair grabbed her banana, sliced it down the middle, along the concave side, and stuffed her banana plumb full of treats.

After the winning archers had pulled their ooey, gooey desserts from the coals, they sat around the counselors' fire with the entire unit eating their delicious prizes. The rest of the campers were making s'mores and singing. Again, Beca's mouth was stuffed too full of banana and melted toppings to do much talking, let alone singing.

* * *

"I'm. So. Stuffed." Beca was groaning as she held her stomach. The pair were laying inside their tent letting their food settle. After polishing off their banana boats, each camper braved to also consume a s'more. "I mean how can you resist s'mores. At least we just had one."

"And not s'more," Emily smirked at her own joke. She rolled over onto her back. "So. This morning. What did Redbird hold you back from crafts to talk about?" Beca didn't say anything. "I was afraid one of you wouldn't leave until blood had been drawn. Come on Becs. Talk to me."

"She had something she felt she needed to say to me… which wasn't even necessary to be honest. Then we came to an understanding." Beca put her head down in the crook of her elbow of her folded arm.

"About?"

"Ummm, would you be upset of me if I told you it was personal?"

While Emily was taken aback, she tried to not let her feelings show. One thing was certain, Beca seemed to be slowly moving out of the woods as far as her spats with Chloe were concerned.

Footsteps were treading all around them as people milled around to settle in for the evening. When they heard a soft "knock, knock" from the outside of their closed tent flap, the campers looked at each other and shrugged.

Emily tentatively said, "come in?"

The giggle they heard was distinctly Chloe. "May I speak to Beca please?"

"No problem; let me get on my shoes."

"Are you sure?"

By this time, Beca had already unzipped the tent and was crawling out. "Yup, what can I do for you,  _Redbird_?"

Chloe started walking towards the lake, so Beca had no choice but to follow her. "I wanted to make sure you know that I meant what I said this morning. I appreciate what you did more than I can ever express."

Once they reached the lake's edge, the redhead reached down and grasped Beca's hand. The tiny brunette used most of her might to keep from flinching. "I got it Redbird. Look, you would have done the same for me, and I would have, too, for anyone."

When Chloe squeezed Beca's hand, a funny feeling shot through the camper. The redhead pulled Beca into her for another hug. Two hugs in one day was almost overwhelming Beca's senses. She screwed her eyes shut and tried to imagine the hug was from Emily. Then she found herself relaxing into the hug. Strange.

Their conversation on the way back was casual. Chloe stuck her head into the tent to tell Emily good night and bid Beca sweet dreams as well. The camper crawled back into the tent and zipped it up.

"Still don't want to talk?"

Beca's answer was silence.

* * *

The next morning at wake-up, Pitch told any campers who had tennis balls to bring them to the counselors' circle. Beca was moaning and groaning as she pulled her shoes on and crawled out into the sunlight. "Heelllllllp," she squealed in a high-pitched voice. "My vampire skin is burrrrrrrrrnnnning."

Emily grabbed one of their tennis balls from their bag and shoved Beca out of the way so she could get out. "Out of the way midget loser."

"Who are you calling midget – giant?" Beca snatched the ball from her friend's hand as they walked towards the circle. "My arrow, my ball."

Once all the Echota campers were present, Pongo talked breakfast. "This morning, we all will be learning to make 'Campfire Eggs in an Orange'. That along with dried fruit and milk… is breakfast." The girls were all looking around, confused.

One cautiously raised her hand. "Ummm Pongo, how does one cook eggs in an orange?"

The counselor smiled. "That's what we are going to learn. Now for those of you who still have a tennis ball, you have the option of cooking Eggs in an Orange with us or taking what's in the box."

"Why do I always feel like we're on 'Let's Make a Deal'," Beca whispered. But neither she nor Emily offered up their ball since at least the first breakfast option was a known despite oranges and eggs not really seeming a particularly appetizing combination. The night before was just a 'take it or leave it' situation.

Then Pongo reached behind the box and brought up an old-school coffee percolator, the kind that worked on a, well, that worked on a campfire. "SOLD." Beca didn't even consult with Emily. Whatever they got for food she'd gladly eat as long as she could have some coffee.

The counselors split up, most going with most of the campers to show them how to make their eggs. Pongo stayed with the few who had a second ball to give. After putting a few pots of coffee on the campfire, she opened the crate and began to pull out foil wrapped packages about eight to ten inches long. "These, my favorite campers, are campfire style breakfast burritos. The cooks pre-made them and wrote on the foil in Sharpie what ingredients they include like bacon, sausage, cheese, veggies… no assembly required. Just choose your poison and re-heat in the coals."

After Emily shoved her first bite into her mouth, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh my stars Beca. I'm so glad you are my friend." Beca… well Beca was in a coffee coma and couldn't say much of anything.

The campers spent the rest of the morning learning how to do things like collect water from tree leaves, read a map, make their own compasses, all types of things that might lend themselves to survival situations. After Turtle Time, they had free swim in the lake and patriated in SUP races, often pitting counselors against the better campers. Unfortunately, the only camper to ever bet a counselor in anything was Beca against Pitch in archery. But that didn't mean the campers didn't have a good time trying to sabotage their elders.

Emily was excited to learn that dinner competition was fishing. After Beca spent time with her last summer and again this summer, she had gotten pretty good. And the fish always seemed to bite for her. The contest was simple. Teams of campers would catch a fish, measure it then release it back to the lake. If their cumulative length was four feet or forty-eight inches within the time limit, they earned the deluxe dinner.

"On your mark, get set, go fish!"

Of course, Emily was the first to catch a fish as her skills and drastically improved. Beca measured it and tossed the fish back so Emily could cast again. They quickly caught their four feet of fish. While they were not the first to do so, or the second, they did come in third.

Beca looked around the lake's edge and saw some of the campers really struggling, particularly the younger ones. "Ems," she whispered. "Do you want to do some more fishing?" Emily nodded, so Beca told her friend the plan. "They didn't give us rules, so we can do this, right?"

"All they can do is tell us to stop."

Emily ran to one group still fishing and Beca went to another, each taking their pole. As they caught fish, they added to that group's tally until they met their quota. When the other two groups who were finished realized what was going on, they, too, raced out to help. Furthermore, as each group finished, they fanned out as well.

When time was called, there was not a single group who had not caught their quota. The celebration noise was deafening as the Echota unit went bonkers. Yet they all quieted when Pitch approached Beca. "This your idea Mitchell?" Her voice was somber.

Beca stuck out her chin and proudly said, "yes. We weren't told we couldn't help each other." Beca was quick to defend herself and Emily. "And isn't that what you guys are always telling us camp is about, meeting new people? And helping others? So yeah, it was my idea. And I'll gladly give up my deluxe dinner if I have to." She motioned to the rest of the unit. "But all these girls deserve it. They worked together and showed determination. And everyone finished." Beca crossed her arms and wasn't giving an inch. She was proud of what she and Emily had done, rebellious or not.

Then Emily walked up next to her, crossing her arms in the same stance as her friend. Slowly, one by one, every single camper came to stand in Beca's defense. Pitch raised her eyebrows. "Hmm I would have never thought this kind of team work to come from you Mitchell. But good job. You've earned everyone's respect today, including mine." She then offered her hand as everyone began to cheer and clap again.

Dinner that night was Dutch Oven Pizza. Each one would serve about four campers, so everyone grouped up by what ingredients they wanted. The process was pretty simple. Foil, of course, pizza dough, sauce, and toppings. Nestle the Dutch oven in the coals and top with coals. Twenty to twenty-five minutes later – show time.

While the campers were building their toppings, the counselors were getting tubs of old-school hand-crank ice cream machines ready. Once the pizzas went into the coals, the campers all took turns sitting on top of the ice cream maker or turning the crank. This truly was going to be a feast deluxe.

Emily watched Beca across the circle as her friend laughed and joked with the other campers. Even though the shorter camper was older than her, Emily felt proud. Beca seemed to finally be completely at ease and enjoying the company of everyone around her – not just Emily and Stacie.

* * *

After breakfast on the last day of  _Kickin' It with Katniss_ , the weary Echota campers returned to their unit. While they had a blast working on their outdoor skills and  _becoming one with nature_ , they were ready to be "home". As the girls of Cabin Two approached their cabin, they noticed Redbird standing outside, arms crossed.

"Oh lord, now what," Beca muttered under her breath. This time, Emily is the one who stiffened as she prepared to run interference for the CIT who slept across for her. Imagine her surprise when she glanced at Beca who wore a grin on her face. Her arms were crossed but in a gentle mocking fashion rather than an  _I'm going to crucify you_  one.

"Okay girls. I know you are all grungy and can't wait to take a shower. But I also know there are only five shower stalls and twenty of us, well eighteen. Legs and I already cleaned up. So rather than have disagreements and battles for the showers, we are going to draw cards. There are four sets of cards which will tell your sequence. Legs and I will time each group, so we don't run out of hot water. Seven minutes in the shower with a three-minute transition period. Once everyone showers then things go back to normal. Sound good?"

Nobody had the energy to complain about the situation. They each drew a card and went in to get ready for showers. Beca and Emily both were in the third group which gave them about thirty minutes. When they stepped into the cabin, Beca noticed something different about her cot. She then looked at Emily's. "REDBIRD!" She bellowed.

Chloe walked up meekly, prepared to take the heat for what had been done when Stacie came forward "Hey Becs, chill. It was my idea. Both of you only have one set of sheets, and I'm sure they are putrid after camping. I put an extra set of mine on Emily's cot and Chloe put her extras on yours."

"B-b-but – they have GRASSHOPPERS on them," Beca sputtered, trying not to glare at Chloe.

"I can trade," Chloe said softly. "I have some ladybugs ones."

With that, all four girls burst out laughing. Beca ran her fingers through her hair. "No please! But… ugh, thanks for the clean sheets."

Chloe shuffled her feet back and forth shyly. "If you two will give us your dirty clothes and sheets, we'll sneak them into the counselor's laundry." She tossed down an empty bag with a draw string.

Emily, who was still shock at the entire exchange, looked at Beca when the two CITs had wandered off. "You still haven't told me the whole story, Beca. WHAT happened between you two?" Beca shrugged and grabbed her shower caddy as it was their time to clean up.

* * *

That night when everyone was getting ready for Lights Out, Chloe came out wearing a set of pajamas Beca had not yet seen. "Are those… baby yellow ducks on your PJs?" She was trying hard to not snicker.

"Why yes, yes they are Beca," Chloe responded haughtily.

Beca tilted her head sideways before speaking. "Okay normally I'd make fun of those, but I have to admit are kind of adorable." She then mentally slapped herself as she mumbled under her breath, "what am I saying?"

Chloe's face lit up like the stars. "Thank you for noticing. Just for that comment, I won't bring them over and let them eat your grasshoppers. Ducks like bugs." Beca couldn't help herself from laughing. She wasn't quite sure at what point her attitude had changed, but now she found Chloe's silly remarks humorous, refreshing even.


	6. Another Summer Closes

Beca groaned when she and Emily got to the lake the next afternoon for free swim. "Seriously?" There were a dozen or so blow up ducks floating around the swim area. "Am I to ever to escape the curse of the cute duck?"

"That's what you get for calling Chloe adorable last night." Emily quickly waded out to capture two of the ducks drifting around.

"I did not call Chloe adorable. I called her pajamas  _kind of adorable_ ," Beca's indigent reply quickly vanished as she raced into the lake after Emily. "DUCK WARS." Somehow, with her short legs, Beca managed to crawl on top of the duck float and grip it tightly with her legs. She balanced with her arms and motioned for Emily to join her.

Emily crawled up on her own duck, and they slowly made their way towards each other. Together they shouted, "One, two, three, four… we declare a duck war." Beca knew her friend's long reach would be an advantage and tried to bob and weave around her, strategizing the best way to knock Emily off her duck. With a good stroke of luck, Beca was able to strike first, knocking the younger camper off-balance and into the lake.

Emily scrambled back onto her duck, and they again gave their battle cry. The pair locked their wrists onto each other's forearms and began to pull and push. This time, Beca was immediately dragged into the lake. Sputtering, she came up laughing and wriggled back onto her floating quacker. "Best out of three?" The other campers saw what was going on, many of them formed a circle around the jousting pair, cheering on whoever was ahead at the time. Many pairs split off to start their own floatie fight.

Emily reached way out with her long arms to try to grasp Beca's shoulder. The shorter girl playfully swatted at her friend's hands and bent down to hug her duck's neck, furiously paddling towards Emily. Beca was concentrating so hard on closing the gap, she didn't notice Emily had moved to the side and the closer Beca got, the easier time Emily was going to have. Finally, the younger camper just grabbed the edge of the duck and dumped Beca over.

The girls who were still watching gave an ovation for Emily as both girls gave up their floaties to others who had not rescued one yet. "Good game sport." Beca held her hand out to Emily. When Emily went to shake her hand, Beca jumped up, wrapped her legs around her friend, and pulled her under the water. "Gawd, I'm exhausted." They found two long floaties, pulled themselves up, and relaxed in the water.

After a bit, Emily looked at her friend. "Beca? Are you upset with me?"

Beca screwed up her face and looked at her friend confused. "Of course, I'm not upset with you. Why on earth would you think that Ems?"

"Because I keep asking about Chloe. I don't mean to pry. Ummmm you told me it was personal, and I respect that. It's just that… the shift was like instantaneous – from mortal enemies to friends."

Beca flipped over on her air mattress and dipped both her hands in the water. "I wouldn't say  _friends_. That's pushing it." She could just feel her friend rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you. Whatever it is, I hope it continues. Life is much easier in the cabin without you two fighting."

Beca turned her head towards Emily and smiled. "Thanks Ems. You are a great friend." She then quickly reached over and flipped the taller girl off her raft and into the lake.

* * *

The first crack of thunder that rolled right after the bolt of lightening caused Beca to shoot out of her bed. The next bolt of lightning lit up the cabin even more. She quickly looked around to find that everyone else in the cabin was still fast asleep which amazed her to no end… except Chloe. She, too, had sat up and was beginning to shake. She clutched at her chest as if she was having a heart attack, her face drained of all color.

Beca quickly grabbed her own blanket and rushed over to Chloe's corner. She wrapped it around the redhead's shoulders. "Shhh, it's going to be okay Chloe. I'm right here." She whispered close to Chloe's ear as she wrapped her arms around the CIT. Despite the intense light and noise show, she got Chloe to lay back down. "Everything is going to be okay. The noise isn't going to hurt you, and I'm right here." She continued to talk in a low and calming voice as that is what seemed to calm Chloe.

The camper had an overwhelming urge to do more, to comfort the CIT more. Without thinking, she brushed her lips across Chloe's cheek to placate her nerves. Immediately one of the redhead's arms snaked out of the covers and clutched Beca's with a vise grip to make sure she didn't leave. She wriggled as close to Beca as she could get. The tiny brunette camper's heart was aching for Chloe since she was so incredibly scared.

One particularly loud peal of thunder woke up Emily who almost got out of bed to check on Beca until she realized her friend wasn't in bed. When she looked around and saw Beca sitting beside Chloe's cot and the redhead holding on for dear life, Emily started to put some of the pieces of the mysterious truce between the two. The respite had started the morning after another one of these freak, rainless storms. Of course, Beca wouldn't have said anything to not embarrass Chloe. Emily wisely stayed in her own cot simply observing Beca as she calmed the older CIT and helped her through the storm.

Once the storm passed and Chloe had been able to fall asleep, Beca began the arduous process of disengaging from the redhead's grip so she could return to her own cot. She kneeled by Chloe's side for a moment before getting up. The look of peace juxtaposed with the terror earlier on the redhead's face was a curiosity for Beca. What had happened to have made her so incredibly afraid of electrical storms? Without thinking, Beca leaned over and pressed a kiss on the corner of Chloe's mouth before getting up to return to her own area. Thankfully, she missed the shocked gasp Emily had given as she watched the tender interchange.

* * *

The next morning, Beca was once again slightly more difficult to drag out of bed. This time Emily knew the reason – she had spent most of her night sitting on the floor, keeping their cabin mate calm during the storm. They still had to leave for breakfast on time, so Emily teamed up with Stacie to roll Beca out of bed. Chloe had disappeared from the cabin early and was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn short stack," Stacie teased. "If I didn't know better, these storms keep your wimpy ass awake at night." Thankfully Beca didn't grace this comment with a retort but she did get out of bed and half-heartedly cleaned her area of inspection.

As the unit walked towards the dining hall, Beca saw Chloe walking ahead a bit. She was alone, so the camper skipped forward to catch up to her. She turned around, walking backwards so she could see Chloe's face when she walked. "Hey Redbird. We okay?" Her concern was genuine.

"Mmmm yeah."

"Doesn't sound too convincing."

"I… it's just embarrassing." Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "I ummmm well thanks. Again."

Beca got a strange vibe from Chloe so she turned around and slowed down until Emily caught up with her. "What was that about Becs?"

"Can we talk later?"

" _Will_  we talk later?"

Beca's face reddened. "Yeah Ems. I think I screwed up."

* * *

That afternoon during Turtle Time, Beca moved her cot next to Emily's so they could visit. Redbird had gone to the other CIT cabin, and Legs was zonked out from being in the sun all morning at the pool and lake. After extracting a promise that Emily would not say anything to anyone, Beca went through the first electrical storm. "She wouldn't talk to me until after crafts. But then she apologized and thanked me for helping her out."

Emily kept quiet and just let her friend talk. "Then there was that damned storm last night. Ems, I couldn't let her just lay over there scared and alone. So, I went back over there."

"I know. I saw."

Beca's eyes widened with shock as she took a swallow. "What did you see?"

"I saw you comforting her Becs. You are a good person." Emily was nervous about telling the entire truth about what she saw.

"And? What else did you see?"

Emily looked down. "Everything."

"I…I… ummm," Beca stuttered as she tried to come up with an excuse.

Emily reached over and put her hand on Beca's arm. "Beca, it's okay. I thought about it all morning. It doesn't change how I feel about you. About our friendship."

"What? Ems, no. It's not like that.  _I'm_  not like that." Emily didn't speak. Beca felt the urge to fill the silence with her own words. "You gotta believe me."

"It's okay if you are, you know. Now or if you decide later you are. I have an aunt who is a lesbian. She's cool."

"How did this go from me comforting Chloe during a storm to me being a lesbian?" Beca's voice was indignant.

"It didn't Beca. But you wouldn't have kissed her if you didn't feel something. And that's okay."

This time, Beca's silence was pure shock. "When she hugs me… I feel weird. It's not like when you hug me Ems." She covered her face with her hands. "I'm so confused. Plus, I didn't kiss her kiss her."

"It's okay Beca. You don't have to solve all your life problems right now. You are only fifteen."

"Listen to you, wise old sage at fourteen."

"You'll figure it out Beca. Just be her friend."

"If she'll let me. She was acting all weird this morning."

"You're over thinking things Becs. I promise. Just be you. I bet by tonight, she'll be back to being…. Chloe."

* * *

"Becccccccccca! Beca Mitchell!"

The camper bolted upright and looked towards the counselor's cabin to see Pitch walking towards Cabin Two. "Ohhhh shit. What did I do now?"

Pitch roared into the cabin, letting the door slam shut behind her. "Beca where is Knobby?" The camper was totally confused. Pitch huffed haughtily. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Knobby. Our unit gnome? The one who brings us luck? Where is he?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Oh, that Knobby. I have no idea where he is Pitch. Maybe he went to the lake?" Emily buried her head in her pillow to keep from laughing.

"He's missing, and I know you took him. Anytime anything happens around here, I know it's you Mitchell."

"Whatever," Beca retorted. "I don't care about your stupid gnome." She turned back over on her cot to ignore the counselor.

"You'd better care about Knobby. In fact, he'd better be back in our unit by morning. Or you are going to be in big trouble missy." With that, Pitch left the cabin and stomped off.

"What the hell do I want with a gnome?" Beca was perturbed that Pitch blamed her for the missing mascot. Pitch's outburst had awoken Stacie who was grinning from ear to ear. "What's so funny Legs?"

"Ummm I know where Knobby is. In fact, I may have kind of taken part in his abduction. I can't believe Pitch blamed you though. Sorry Beca."

"That's okay; he disappeared and apparently I was Gnome-inated as the culprit. You gotta help me to get him back. Tonight!"

Stacie shared with Beca how Pongo had snuck into the unit previous night. Stacie had provided a distraction while the other counselor had stolen the gnome mascot. Several of the units had gnomes this year, and apparently Pongo had gone on theft spree, stealing all the gnomes in camp. "Check this out." Stacie opened her trunk and pulled out a Go-Pro. "Shhhh, Pongo took footage of our escapades and is going to make a video. Let's video our rescue attempt."

About dusk, Beca, Emily, and Stacie changed into all black clothing. Stacie pulled out some eye-black make up, and they all put smudges under their eyes like football players. Stacie mounted the Go-Pro to her chest and flipped it on. She announced they were going on a "Save the Gnome Mission" then asked Beca if she wanted to say anything, a joke perhaps.

"Gnome jokes? I'm a little short on them," Beca deadpanned. This caused both Emily and Stacie to snort.

Then they were off to Pongo's unit Upon arrival, they saw no fewer than four gnomes hanging from the unit shelter. A sign was draped under their feet which read, "Hanging with my gnomies."

Suddenly Emily yelled out, "There's a gnome. Hanging."

Beca couldn't resist. "There's a gnome that's killed itself. There's a gnome that committed…"

"Oh no," Emily interrupted. "This is so sad. Poor Knobby. Maybe he's there by choice."

Pongo heard the ruckus and came flying out of her cabin. Legs had forewarned her they'd be coming for the mascot, so she grabbed the stick on which Knobby was hanging and took off running down the path.

Beca and Emily started clamoring as they raced after Pongo, "follow the gnome... follow the gnome!" Stacie was laughing so hard she could barely keep up. Finally, Pongo stopped running, Stacie turned off the camera and gave the camera unit to Pongo. The other counselor pulled off the ski mask that had been covering her face.

Beca hadn't even realized until that moment that Pongo had concealed her identify. "I see how it is," the camper laughed. "The only identifiable thing on the video is mine and Emily's voices."

Pongo and Stacie were still laughing and panting. "Yeah, but you were the heroines and rescued Knobby. God, every time I hear his name, I think of Dobby."

Stacie took the noose off of the gnome's neck. "Knobby is now a free gnome," Stacie cackled in a high-pitched voice.

* * *

Emily had been right when she'd told Beca to be herself and things would go back to normal. There was no awkwardness in the Vitamin N Squared classes they had with Redbird the next day. During one of their first lessons, they had learned about various edibles found around Camp Barden. The counselor had them collect pails of blackberries, elderberries, and Black-Eyed Susan flowers.

"Today we are going to learn about using these items to make natural dye." She showed them how to process the natural materials and to turn them into something which could be used to make eco-friendly tie-dye, yarn, or even hair dye. They used the dye to do just that and then used the colored items in additional craft-work.

Redbird had all sorts of neat crafts for the older girls to do. One of Beca's favorites had to do with water balloons filled with various colors of paint. The campers attached the balloons to a canvas and used darts to shoot at the balloons, leaving colorful splotches of paint on the canvas. This project was random, yet it wasn't – depending on how good one's aim was. Her mom was going to love the things she brought home this year.

* * *

While Beca and Chloe were not best buds, they certainly had not reverted to being enemies which was saying a lot. But Beca still had a strong urge to completely clear the air between herself and Chloe. She couldn't leave camp without talking to the redhead. She knew she had to have the conversation soon before time ran out since camp was ending in a few days.

"Redbird, can we talk?" Beca approached Chloe hopefully but with caution.

Chloe paused and tilted her head before speaking. "I guess so Becs." She motioned for Beca to have a seat on her cot.

"Not here. Can we go for a walk?" Beca was trying to keep her voice from shaking. Her nerves had been eating at her, but she knew the talk had to happen. As the two wondered away from the cabin, they found a more secluded area of the unit and took a seat on an old, rotten log.

"What's up Beca?" Chloe leaned into the tiny camper.  _That_  feeling began to creep up from Beca's toes as she tried to hide the flush in her face.

"I … just wanted to say I'm sorry Chlo."

"For?"

"For that night, the night of the storm." Chloe sighed and hooked her arm through Beca's elbow. "You haven't exactly been talking to me, and I think I know why. I'm sorry, and I promise it won't ever happen again."

"Becs. You didn't do anything wrong. I simply have a hard time with anyone seeing my weaknesses. You've been there for me twice now which makes me… vulnerable." Chloe snuggled in a bit further, laying her head on Beca's shoulder. "I am the one who owes you an apology. I've been stand-offish, and you don't deserve that. I like you Beca. I really do."

Beca tried to gather enough moisture in her mouth to swallow so she could form an answer, but words wouldn't come. By now she was sure that her neck and face were scarlet. Her stomach was doing all sorts of flip-flops, things her stomach had never done. "N…n…no Chloe." Beca shook her head to clear some of the cobwebs.

"Yes Beca. I meant when I said I liked you. I hope we'll be able to stay in touch this summer. I know last year was kind of a bust where we were concerned, but do you think we can maybe be friends?"

When Beca realized that maybe Chloe wasn't aware of the meant-to-be-comfort kisses after all, she finally allowed herself to relax. "I'd like that Beale. I'd really like that." They walked back to the cabin, and Beca allowed herself to be hugged by Chloe. Of course, she felt guilty because she hadn't admitted to the CIT why she wanted to apologize, but what Chloe didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Oh," Beca said. "I have something for you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a paracord bracelet she had woven out of pink and red cord. "These colors just scream your name." Beca's hands were almost shaking as Chloe held out her arm for Beca to snap the bracelet around her wrist.

"Thanks," Chloe responded. She gave Beca a chaste kiss on the cheek before walking off.

The tiny camper flung herself onto Emily's cot. "Well, how did it go? Doesn't look like she freaked out on you."

Beca blew her hair out of her face and came clean with her friend. "She apparently didn't remember. She's been acting weird out of some code of honor or something. Like being scared makes her weak."

"Why do you look so… odd then?"

"Because she got all handsy on me. You know how Chloe is, all touchy feely. This was Chloe times ten. I couldn't exactly come clean with her when she was making me… feel that way."

"What way?" Emily said teasingly.

Beca shoved her teasingly. "Shaddup."

* * *

After another tearful closing ceremony, the girls were all saying their farewells. "I get my license this year Ems. If mom let's me, we can spend Spring Break at your house."

"Or mine," Chloe surprised both Emily and Beca as she walked up behind them. The taller camper shot Beca a knowing look as if encouraging her to say something.

"Yeah," Beca grinned. "Message us."

"You betcha."

Leaving seemed harder yet somehow easier since all four cabin mates were on speaking terms this year. Stacie and Chloe both could drive and soon Beca would be driving, too. They promised to not leave Emily out of anything.

* * *

Emily was a little busier for the rest of the summer as she got ready for her first year of high school, like somehow preparations for high school were different than middle school. She didn't exactly duck out of her summer friendship duties; she just didn't seem to cling to Beca as much as before. Beca attributed this to how much her friend had grown over the past two summers and didn't take anything personally.

Stacie had gotten a part-time job so she could buy herself a car. Her hand-me-down pick up from her older brother had bit the dust. This left Beca and Chloe to lots of late-night phone calls and weekend Skype visits.

Beca found out that Chloe's favorite ice cream was strawberry and that she refused to eat pizza without pineapple on it. "Gross Chloe. Why?"

"Because then I get a whole pizza to myself!" Beca made a mental note to order a pizza with only half of Chloe's toppings just for spite and in jest, of course.

Chloe learned that Beca had a love for music and spent most her free time mixing music. "Yeah, there's an entire section of my room dedicated as a music workstation - turntables, keyboard, laptop."

"Like a DJ?"

Beca screwed up her face in disgust. "You sound like my dad. I don't want to DJ. I want to produce music… make music. Music has always been a part of me."

"Weird Becs. You say you love music, yet you don't sing."

"Camp songs are silly Chlo."

"I don't mean just camp songs Beca. I'm in a special choir group at school. A capella."

"Oh right, this is a thing now." Beca rolled her eyes, mocking her friend.

"Totes. We sing covers of songs but do it without any instruments. It all comes from our mouths!"

Beca reacts, "Wow… just like camp songs."

"No Beca. Not like camp songs." Chloe shot her a look that said if Beca were with reach, she'd be getting tickled, something Beca truly hated. This banter went back and forth until Chloe's mom called her down for dinner. "Night Beca. I miss you."

"Miss you, too, Chlo." She kissed her fingers and let them touch the camera. As Chloe signed off, Beca sighed and closed the lid of her laptop. "What am I going to do about this mess?" She ran her fingers through her hair and opened her laptop again.

Right before Beca gave up, Emily answered. "Hey Ems. Hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Nope. Mom just gave me the ten-minutes-before-dinner warning though."

Beca's face fell as she realized she didn't have time to get into her quandary. "That's okay then. I don't want to keep you." She went to disconnect.

"Beca! Wait! What's wrong?" Emily's concern was endearing. Beca shook her head and said she didn't want to get into it. "Can we talk after I eat?" They agreed that Emily would text when she was done and they'd reconnect on a call.

* * *

Each time Beca tried to explain to Emily, the explanation never felt quite right. Either she didn't think she could put her feelings into words or was afraid Emily would judge her despite her friend's assurances she wouldn't. Emily even tried to get Beca to talk to her aunt in hopes to give her a kindred spirit to visit with. But Beca would allow herself to even consider what she felt for Chloe being more than a teenage crush.

After school started, Beca got her license and started hounding her mom to let her go visit Emily for Halloween weekend. "Come on Mom. It's not that far. You've even met her mom. You know we won't get into any trouble." Beca whined a little more that she hadn't seen her friend since camp. Eventually her mom relented and got Beca's grandmother to loan her one of their cars with the promise her daughter would be on her best behavior AND would fill up the tank before she returned.

Beca raced up the stairs to her bedroom, texting Emily as she ran. By the time she got to her bedroom, Emily was already calling. When the pair connected their Skype, Emily was waving her hands in their air and squealing. "OMG, OMG, OMG! Are you seriously going to be here for Halloween?"

Beca nodded and told Emily that she had to get her mom to call Beca's mom to make sure they both were okay with the arrangements. "This is going to be so cool Ems. It's Halloween! What are we going to do?"

"One of my friend's works at this incredible haunted house. He said it's one of the best in the state. He'll hook us up with discounted tickets. Hey! We should call Stacie and Chloe. They don't live far from here, and they both can drive."

After thinking for a moment, Beca shook her head. "I haven't had enough Emily-fix lately. Can we maybe get together with them Spring Break?" After they ended their phone call, Beca felt a little guilty. She'd love to see both Stacie and Chloe. But truth was she had an ulterior motive for not wanting them to come along this weekend. She was hoping to maybe talk to Emily's aunt. Her insides were spinning 'round and 'round, and she wasn't sure how to make sense out of what she was feeling for Chloe.


	7. Pasta, Gelato, and Haunted Houses

Beca had gone to her grandparents' house for dinner on Thursday and picked up their extra car. Her bag was packed so she could leave right after school on Friday. Emily's house was only a few hours away, but a couple of hours is forever when one doesn't have a license or a car. She was excited that she'd been able to score permission and a car.

Beca called her mom to let her know she was leaving school and about how long the drive would take. Her mother reminded her to put her phone on Do Not Disturb to minimize distractions. "I know Mom. Trust me, please? I want me to get there safe, too. And yes, I'll call you when I get there."

She then FaceTimed Emily who had just gotten out of school and was walking home. "Beca! Yay… I get to see you today."

"I know." Beca panned the camera around the car. "Guess where I'm at?"

"An amusement park? Wait I know – church."

"Ass. I'm in my car and about to leave. I wanted to call you right quick since Mom's making me put my phone on DND while I drive. I didn't want you to worry if I didn't respond. See you soon."

Beca dutifully put her phone on Do Not Disturb, flipped to her  _Driving to Emily's_  play list, plugged her phone in, and set off on the road.

* * *

Beca had timed her play list to approximately match how long it would take to get to her friend's. Because she caught a little traffic, she ended up being about two songs short, but she had plenty of music on her phone to fill in. When she pulled up to Emily's house, the younger girl instantly flew out the front door and was at the car by the time Beca could turn off the car and get her seat belt off. Emily threw her arms around her shorter friend and squeezed as she squealed Beca's name.

Beca patted Emily's arm a few times. "Tapping out here, bud. Can't breathe. Glad to see you, too."

"Mom can't wait to see you. Come on." She opened the back seat to grab Beca's bag while Beca unplugged her phone and dropped it in her jacket pocket. Together they jogged to the house. Emily flung open the door and shouted at the top of her lungs. "Moooooommmmmm Beca's here! Mom!"

Ms. Junk came in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her smile was broad as she gave Beca a much softer hug than her daughter. "Beca, it's so nice for you to come visit. You have been such a wonderful influence on my Emily."

Most of Beca's energy was being taken trying to keep from laughing. "No problem Ms. Junk. I wouldn't say I'm a good influence… maybe just an influence."

Emily poked her friend in the ribs with her elbow. "Come on. Let's go up to my room."

When the pair got upstairs, Beca said, "Oh, I need to call my mom. I promised her I'd let her know I got here okay." She took her phone off DND and several text messages and voice mails came through. "Shit." She scrolled through them. "I forgot about my standing 'after-school-Friday' call with Chloe. These will have to wait." Beca called her mom and let her know she had arrived.

"Thanks for letting Beca come for Halloween Mrs. Mitchell." Emily called out.

Beca finished the conversation. "She said you're welcome but keep me out of trouble. As if! Fuck, what am I going to do about Chloe? She can't know I'm here. I mean, I don't want to hurt her feelings. I'm going to call her and not FaceTime her. I'll tell her my rear-facing camera is jacked up or something." Beca dialed the redhead.

"Chlo? Hey! I am so sorry. I had my phone on Do Not Disturb for my English test and forgot to turn it off. I wondered why I hadn't heard from you… FaceTime? I can't. My selfie camera is being wonky." The two talked for a while about their 'no big plans' for the spooky weekend. Chloe mentioned maybe getting together with Aubrey Saturday afternoon but nothing concrete. The conversation was short and Beca got out of it unscathed.

"Why do I feel so bad lying to her?" Beca worried her lip with her teeth.

Emily patted her shoulder. "You didn't lie Beca."

"By omission I did. Or I feel like I did." Beca ran her hand through her hair. "This girl's going to be the death of me. I can't stop thinking about her." She blew out a deep breath. "Anyway what's the plan?"

Clapping, Emily said, "tonight is dinner here. We can help mom make spaghetti."

"That's easy enough. Throw some noodles in a pot of boiling water, pop open a can of sauce, viola!"

"Did I mention mom makes her own pasta?" Emily grinned because she knew that would trip Beca up. "And we make our sauce from scratch."

"Ummm why?"

"Because it's fuuuuuuuunnnnn. And it tastes better. Please Beca. I want to show you how to do this stuff. It beats camp fire cooking."

"I don't know. Campfire cooking is pretty good." Beca stuck her tongue out at her younger friend. "Okay, you win. But I want ice cream for dessert. And I don't want to make it myself."

"Deal, there's this great gelato place a few blocks away."

"Gelato? I said ice cream!" Beca stuck her lip out in a pout.

"It's Italian Ice kind of like ice cream. And put your lip back in – you are acting like Chloe," Emily teased.

* * *

Beca had a surprisingly good time helping cook completely by scratch. "This is relatively simple, except making the pasta and tastes a lot better, too." She rolled up another forkful of spaghetti and shoveled it into her mouth. "Thanks Ms. Junk."

After dinner was complete and the dishes washed, Emily and Beca headed to the gelato shop. "This looks like… ice cream. Just in rectangular containers and not round tubs."

"It's so much better than ice cream. Just you wait. I'm picking your first flavor." She pointed to a container and made an order for Beca and then for herself. The gelato was served in tiny cups.

When Beca got hers, she announced, "I could eat fifty of cups this size. This stuff better be good." She took a small spoonful and let her eyes roll back in her head. "Oh my god, Ems. Coffee?"

"Espresso to be exact. I thought you might like it." She smiled down at hers as she took a bite of her own.

After taking a few more bites, Beca groaned again. "You are right – much better than ice cream. Different. It's creamier and… am I just dreaming or can I eat it faster? I'm not getting brain freeze like normal when I pig out." Emily laughed and explained about the fat content, the temperatures, etc. "What kind do you have?"

Emily scooped some up in her spoon and offered it to Beca. "Sette Veli – Seven Veils. There's a story in the bible about the seductive dance of the seven veils performed by Salome for Herod. Sette veli cake is most associated with Palermo in Sicily, although it is found throughout Italy. Sette veli gelato is a combination of different kinds of chocolate from dark to light, hazelnut praline and crunchy biscuits."

"How do you know all this?" Beca was amazed at her friend's knowledge.

"Aunt Josie is a chef and took a trip to several European countries, to learn to cook different cuisines. When she was in Italy, my mom let me go and visit. One of the places we went was San Gimignano, an old medieval city that had two warring gelato stores, each claiming to be the world champion of gelato. We spent time in both stores listening to what knowledge they would impart as Aunt Josie learned how to make gelato."

"That's awesome. Your Aunt Josie. She's the gay one, right?" Emily nodded as they both went to get another scoop of gelato. As they got seated, Beca continued. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"She invited us to eat at one of her friend's super trendy restaurants. She had awesome contacts. She said we could talk there or go to the park afterwards. She's excited to meet you. That will still give us time to get to the haunted house."

* * *

The girls spent the rest of the evening listening to some of Beca's mixes in Emily's room and talking about school. "Your music is really good Beca." The older girl shrugged and didn't respond. Emily and Stacie are the only ones she'd shared her mixes with. While she was proud of the praise, she felt embarrassed somehow. Mixing was something she just did for fun.

She got up and wandered around Emily's room looking at all the decoration – posters of singers and movie stars. Then there was half a wall dedicated to camp. Tons of pictures of the two of them were stuck into corkboard with push pins. There were also pictures of Stacie, Chloe, and every combination of the four of them as well as other campers and counselors. Emily (and Beca) always wore their magic leather bracelets from the first year at camp, but the others were all hanging with the pictures along with various other crafts like the homemade paper and tie dye bandana.

As Beca's eyes continued to scan the room, she spied a guitar leaning against the corner. Her eyes lit up as she asked Emily. "May I?" Emily nodded, and Beca picked up the instrument and took a seat back next to her friend on the floor. After plucking a few strings and some minor adjusting of pegs, she asked, "yours?"

"My uncle's. He was teaching me to play." Emily's eyes began to involuntarily water. "He, ummmm, we lost him in Afghanistan. I haven't touched it since."

Beca wasn't sure what to say. "I don't have to. I can put it back up."

"NO!" The force with which Emily responded was shocking. "Please. He would want it to be played. Please?"

"Well I may be a little rough at first but after I practice some more and get this into tune, we can start your lessons again. I taught myself to play, but last year I started official lessons at school, they have a strings class."

Beca plucked a few simple chords then strung some into a short melody, a tune unfamiliar to Emily. After a while, Emily was overwhelmed with emotion, so Beca put the guitar back in the corner and sat back down next to Emily in silence, just being with her.

* * *

The girls got up early the next morning, excited about their day. Beca took one look at the coffee maker and proclaimed it too advance for her "tiny brain". Emily took over the caffeine duties as Beca dug through the cabinets for breakfast ingredients.

"Where's the pancake mix?" She was almost throwing ingredients out of the pantry. "I want ppaaaaaaannnnnnnnncaaakkes. You know if you say that word in different ways, it sounds funny. Pancake. PpppaaaaNNNCCAke."

Emily rolled her eyes and pushed Beca out of the way to retrieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. She directed Beca get eggs, buttermilk, and butter from the refrigerator along with cream for their coffee.

"Let me guess," Beca complained.

"From scratch because…"

"It's better," they both finished together.

By the time Emily's mother came down, she was surprised to find breakfast was ready. The girls were covered practically from head to toe in flour. Emily sheepishly said, "ummmm we made pancakes…"

"… from scratch," Beca finished. And she wasn't about to admit how much better scratch pancakes tasted than out of the box. Emily couldn't be right about spaghetti and gelato and pancakes!

After the mess had been dutifully cleaned up, Beca and Emily went to get ready for their lunch with Aunt Josie. When Emily came into her bedroom after taking a shower, Beca's concentration was focused on her phone. She was furiously texting. "Hey."

Beca jumped. "Oh. Hey." She waved her phone. "That was just Chloe. I hope she doesn't get mad at me. We normally talk a lot more on weekends."

"Things will be fine with Chloe Beca. I mean, I know you like her, and you don't know what to do with that. But she's not your girlfriend, at least not yet anyway. You came here to process all that, not to worry about her."

* * *

The restaurant they met Aunt Josie at was amazing. The menu was exclusively tapas, and the three enjoyed ordering the small shared plates. Beca was not as adventurous with her orders, but she certainly had no problem trying the more daring orders of her dining mates.

During one eating break while waiting for another order to arrive, Josie pushed back from the table a bit. "So Beca, my niece speaks highly of you as does my sister." Beca blushed slightly and ducked her head in embarrassment. "Emily also tells me you are questioning yourself, who you are."

Beca's eyes widened. She knew this was the purpose of meeting Emily's aunt but hearing Josie say it out loud was frightening. She gulped. "Yeah."

"Let's start with the obvious… or not so obvious. What brings all this up? Your consternation?" Beca didn't respond.

"Chloe," Emily blurted. "Chloe's the reason she's questioning.

Josie raised her eyebrows. "I see. Tell me about Chloe."

Beca couldn't keep the sheepish grin off her face. "I met her at camp, same as Ems here. First year she was my ultimate enemy. We seemed to stay at each other's throats. Last summer… things changed." She ducked her head back down. Luckily, she was saved by the next order coming out. She acted overly interested in the tapas the waiter had sat down at their table.

Despite the food arriving, Beca couldn't stand not talking more. "She has this most gorgeous red hair and blue eyes as bright as the spring sky, freckles like angel kisses. Her laugh is infectious and personality to die for." She paused as she realized she was rattling. "Oops, I guess I got carried away."

"No, no you didn't." Josie was smiling. "You know it's okay to like her, right? Whether you are gay or bi-sexual or whatever. It's alright. I mean, it's not always a smooth path. But you have a strong support system. Emily loves you, and she tells me you and your mom have a strong relationship." Beca nodded.

"When did you know?"

"I was about your age. I had a huge crush on my English teacher. Of course, I couldn't do anything about that. But that enabled me to open my eyes to this girl in my science class. She was incredibly cute. Well we ended up being lab partners the second semester. Then I realized that I might like her."

"The more time we spent together, the more I noticed that she always hugged me, her fleeting touches drove me crazy, and when we didn't meet, I was sad. One thing led to another and  _that_  was how I met my first girlfriend."

"But what if Chloe's not … not like me. What if I tell her and she wigs out? I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable or worse, lose her friendship."

"Does Chloe have a boyfriend?"

"No! Well not that I know of. I'm fairly certain she'd tell me since we tell each other about everything."

"You talk on a regular basis? Share everything?" Beca nodded. Josie shrugged. "Be miserable then. I don't think you doubt yourself – who you are. I think you are afraid to put yourself out there. The choice is yours Beca. Buck up." She reached over and snagged the last bacon-wrapped date and popped it into her mouth.

"I'm not trying to bust your balls. If you like her, go for it. If she's as good of a friend as you say she is and she's not into you, she won't run. If she does, then she was never really your friend anyway."

* * *

Beca felt a lot better after talking to Emily's Aunt Josie. As the friends drove back to Emily's house to get ready for the haunted house, Beca was chattering away which made Emily glad that they had gone to lunch with her Aunt Josie. She could sense relief in Beca's demeanor.

"Now I just have to figure out how to tell Chloe. Should I ask her to meet us for lunch tomorrow? Or will she hate me that I was here for Halloween and didn't let her know? Or will be she just be happy to see me, us?" Beca was blabbering again, excited about the possibilities. She  _really_  liked Chloe.

Emily tried to calm her friend down and reminded her she was only visiting for the weekend. "There will be plenty of time for asking Chloe out later."

The sun had set by the time Beca and Emily showed up at the haunted house. They parked in a field a bit away and followed the crowd down a dark dirt road to a huge metal barn structure. Emily had purchased their tickets in advance and had about fifteen minutes to wait until their entry time. As they friends got into line, Emily slipped her arm through Beca's elbow and held on for dear life as she gave a shrill squeal.

"We haven't even gone inside yet Ems. You can't be scared."

Emily laughed. "I've heard so much about this haunted house. We are going to be terrified. I'm just getting warmed up."

* * *

Beca did her best to keep Emily on her feet as they stumbled through the haunted house. The younger girl kept jumping, shrieking, and falling over imaginary obstacles. One extremely tall headless man with bloody clothes and a machete lunged towards the pair. This time Beca was the one who gave a high-pitched scream and lurched forward despite the creature standing in her way. His manacled laugh caused her to crouch on the ground, shaking, until he moved on to terrify the next group.

After what seemed like hours, Beca and Emily stumbled out of the tin barn, gasping the fresh air into their lungs which were aching for. A scrawny tall teen shoved a slip of paper into Beca's hand. "Your number… for pictures. Go to that website tomorrow and you can download your terror and fright."

The girls made their way over to the drink cart and bought two lemonades. They found an empty bench to finish catching their breath from their experience in that "horrible, awful barn". They were soon giggling and laughing as they relieved the experience.

"And, and, and… that disappearing, reappearing woman behind the curtain." Beca was rolling so hard she could barely continue. She then sat back up and took another drink of her lemonade. And froze.

Emily must have talked for several moments before realizing that Beca was not paying attention; rather, she was staring across the way, at a girl standing face to face with a taller boy, her arms around his shoulders, their faces close together. The girl was flirty and laughing and had a head full of curly auburn hair.

Beca's voice was barely audible. "Chloe…"


	8. Resolution?

As Beca whispered the redhead's name, she squeezed her cup of lemonade so hard it collapsed, spilling what was left onto the ground. She quickly stood to leave; she couldn't bear to stay and watch Chloe flirt with this boy. She grabbed Emily's hand and began to walk towards the parking lot.

Emily pulled her friend's hand, stopping her short. "She saw us Becs. She's coming towards us."

Beca turned around and saw Chloe bouncing towards them, tall boy in tow. The tiny brunette plastered a fake smile on her face as the redhead flung her arms around her. "Beca! Oh my goodness. What are you doing here?"

Beca wriggled out of Chloe's arms and hung her head, scuffing her shoe in the dirt. "Last minute decision really. Mom loaned me her car so I could come see Emily and this awesome haunted house." Her mumbled words were barely loud enough to hear.

"Why didn't you tell me? We could have gone together?" Chloe was vibrant and chipper as always.

Beca motioned towards the boy. "Seems like you already had plans."

"Oh," Chloe said, like she just realized the boy was still standing beside her. "This is Tom. Tom, this is Beca and Emily, two of my camp buddies. Tom and I have been dating for a few months," Chloe chirped.

As if Beca wasn't already in shock, her heart dropped further into the pit of her stomach.  _Dating? Months, as in plural?_  She turned to Emily, hoping her face revealed the urgency of her desire to leave.

Her face had drained of color the instant she had seen Chloe, so passing herself off as ill was easy. She leaned over, putting her hands on her knees. Emily put her hand on Beca's back and said, "is your stomach still bothering you?" Beca nodded furiously. "Come on, let's go home."

Chloe gave them both hugs, not noticing that Beca's body was stiff as a board. "I hope you feel better Beca. Let's do breakfast tomorrow! I'll call Stacie. She doesn't work on Sunday." Beca didn't respond and Emily just gave a small smile over her shoulder as they walked away.

The taller girl looked over to her friend as they walked to the car. Beca was struggling to hold back her tears. When they got into the vehicle, Beca pressed her head against the steering wheel. She was gripping the wheel so hard that her knuckles were white. She shoved back with her arms, head banging against the headrest. "Damn it," she shouted.

Emily put her hand on Beca's forearm. "Tell me what I can do Becs."

"Nothing you can do Emily. Unless you can take away my feelings. God. I can't believe she's been dating this guy, and she never even told me. I knew  _nothing_  about him. I thought we shared everything." The tears were flowing freely now. The shorter girl reached up and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, smearing tears and mascara across her face.

* * *

 

By the time Beca and Emily had gotten back to the house, Beca had two messages from Chloe and one from Stacie. Frustrated, she switched off her phone without even reading the messages. Of course, not too long afterwards, Emily's phone started buzzing. She messaged both their friends and begged out of breakfast since Beca wasn't 'feeling well'.

Once both girls changed into their pajamas, Emily plopped down on the twin bed that Beca was curled up on and started rubbing her shoulder soothingly. "You okay?"

Beca's voice was muffled as her head was buried under the pillow and covers. "I will be. Sorry I ruined the weekend Ems."

"You didn't ruin anything. I've had a great time. If anyone caused mayhem, death, and destruction, it was Redbird." Emily avoided using Chloe's name in hopes to ease Beca's pain. She used her hands to make stomping motions and an explosion akin to Godzilla.

Beca couldn't help but to start smirking and stuck her arms from beneath the blanket and started shooting death rays at the fake monster. "Pew, pew, pew. Take that you heartbreaker fiend." Emily keeled over on the floor with all four limbs in the air as Beca dropped an imaginary bomb on her.

The shorter girl had not washed her ruined mascara off before crawling into bed and wiped her tear and make-up streaked face on the sheets. "Ewwww Beca gross."

"Meh you are going to wash them anyway." Beca gave her friend an honest grin. "Thanks for making me smile. Hey – I know it's too late to go back out, but do you have anything here, like say… ice cream?"

Emily bounced off the bed and ran downstairs, returning shortly with a quart of ice cream and two spoons. "Rocky road okay?"

"Duh! Gimme, gimme, gimme." Now armed with ice cream, Beca had forgotten her worries as she and her friend settled in to watch Netflix and polish off the ice cream.

* * *

When Beca ventured to turn on her phone the next morning, she was relieved to find that Chloe had not blown up her phone. Then… she was sad, feeling like the redhead may not have understood that she was upset last night – or if she did realize it – know why. She did get a cute text from Stacie with a soup emoji and get well wishes. She and Emily decided to call Stacie and get the scoop on Chloe and this Tom fellow.

"Stacieeeeeeeeeeeeee." Emily gave a squeal since they both knew Beca wasn't in right mindset.

The older girl grinned at her friends' faces on the call. "You look like you feel better Becs. Why didn't you tell me you were going to be in town? We could have done something."

"Long story Stace. Please don't be mad." Beca was nervous. "Hey, ummmm, can you still do breakfast? But just the three of us? And not let Chloe know?" Stacie was confused but agreed to meet at a diner not too far from either her or Emily's house. She promised Chloe never went there so they'd be safe.

The trio arrived about the same time and got a booth towards the back of the café and put in their order. "Okay Beca, spill the beans.  _What_  is going on?"

"What can you tell us about this Tom fellow that Chloe is dating? Did you know she was seeing him?"

Stacie rolled her eyes. "Well one, he's a total douche. Two, he's very controlling. Chloe is so blinded by him, she can't see it. Wait, how did you know about Tom?"

Beca looked at Emily. "We ran into them last night at the haunted house. She introduced us and said they'd been dating a while. Why hasn't she told me she was dating someone Stace?"

"Like I said, he's pretty controlling. He doesn't like for her to do anything but what he says. She really can't even hang out with me anymore – or Aubrey. Maybe she didn't tell you because you might have wanted to meet him?"

"As if…" Beca rolled her eyes. "Does she even like him?"

"I think it's more of she likes the idea of him, big man on campus and all. He's a senior." They talked a little bit longer about Chloe and Tom before Stacie asked. "Enough about them. What about you? How have you been?" Emily scooted closer to Beca, afraid her friend would get emotional.

"I'm … alright." Beca looked down to her hands which were in her lap.

"I don't believe you Shortie. Spill."

Beca felt Emily's hand squeeze her thigh. She shook her head. "Naw, it's my issue."

Despite not wanting to accept this, Stacie honored her friend's wish to not talk about things and shifted the conversation to safer ground.

* * *

Despite all that happened, Beca felt better during her drive home since she had some time to sort out her feelings and think about life in general. She made sure to fill up her grand-parents' car and even ran it through the car was to make sure she returned it clean and with a full belly.

When she got to her room, she messaged Emily to let her know she had made it home and started to read through the messages that Chloe had sent. Beca wasn't quite sure what to do with her feelings although she did know she was still upset with Chloe for not telling her she was dating someone. Frustrated, she tossed her phone on the bed. Her emotions seemed to be on a roller coaster.

When her FaceTime rang, she saw it was Emily and quickly answered. "Hey!"

"Hey back." Emily expression was full of concern.

"I'm okay Ems. I promise." Emily was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "Ummm what did you do?"

"Chloe called me, worried about why you hadn't called her back or even texted her."

"And…"

"Well I told her you were driving. And that didn't seem good enough for her. I sort of went off on her." Emily screwed up mouth up sideways. "Sorry." She went on to tell Beca what all she had screamed at Chloe to include how betrayed Beca felt, how dishonest Chloe had been, and how dare the redhead call herself a friend.

"Wow." Beca was stunned. She didn't know that Emily could be so fierce. "What'd she say?"

"Ummm I don't know. I hung up on her." She then made the sound Beca had earlier made of the bomb dropping.

"Well at least she knows. You didn't have to do that though Emily. I can fight my own battles." Emily shrugged. "But thanks. Saves me from having to wonder what to text her."

"Oh." Emily said with another odd look on her face. "I also kinda told her to leave you the hell alone unless you contacted her. I figured you needed some time."

Two days later, Beca did get a text from Chloe.

 _[From Chloe: I'm sorry Becs]  
_ _[From Chloe: I miss you]_

Beca didn't respond. Chloe left her alone.

In fact, Christmas break rolled around before Beca could get up the nerve to text her redheaded crush.

 _[To Chloe: Do you not trust me?]_  
_[From Chloe: ? Beca, I absolutely trust you, with my life. You know that.]  
_ _[To Chloe: Why didn't you tell me you were dating someone?]_

Several minutes passed, and Beca almost gave up on a response.

 _[From Chloe: I don't have a good reason]  
_ _[From Chloe: I'm sorry]_

Beca really didn't have much else to say. If Chloe couldn't at least be honest with her, or sincere, she had to question their friendship.

 _[To Chloe: Enjoy the holidays_  
_[To Chloe: Merry Christmas]  
_ _[From Chloe: ? Beca? Wait! Please?]_

Chloe immediately tried to FaceTime. Beca didn't feel she could handle seeing the redhead's face even though it had been almost two months. She disconnected the FaceTime but called her back with a voice call. "Yeah?"

"I miss you Beca. We used to talk all the time. What's going on? I haven't heard from you since Halloween."

"…when I found out that you had a secret boyfriend you hadn't even told me about." Beca was laying on her bed with her feet propped up against the wall. She heard Chloe sigh on the other end of the phone. "I thought we were better friends than that."

"It's hard to explain Becs. I'm sorry. But I… I miss you." Beca made a non-committal noise. "Will you give me a chance to make things up to you?"

If Beca thought her heart hurt when she saw Chloe and Tom a few months ago, it was literally splitting open as she heard the pain in her friend's voice. She missed Chloe, too, and from what Stacie had said, the relationship didn't exactly sound healthy. "You know why I'm upset, right? I don't want you to feel you can't talk to me. About  _anything_." Beca couldn't bear not being there for Chloe if she needed her – now that things were out in the open.

"I was wrong Beca. I'm sorry. I promise to do better."

* * *

Since neither girl had school for the next few weeks over the winter break, they were able to spend some time catching up with each other. Beca noticed that Chloe wasn't always her bubbly self but attributed this to what Stacie had said about Tom being a controlling dickhead. As much Beca as enjoyed having Chloe back in her life, she still didn't feel comfortable broaching the subject of Chloe's happiness. If the redhead wasn't going to bring up her boyfriend, Beca wasn't going to either.

Before either of them realized it, Spring Break was approaching. Emily was going skiing with her family, and Stacie had to work. Beca thought the time might be perfect for her and Chloe to finally mend their friendship. Beca would break down and ask the hard questions to try to get Chloe to completely open up to her. She texted Chloe.

 _[To Chloe: Hey you. Plans for Spring Break?]_  
_[From Chloe: Not really.]  
_ _[To Chloe: Why don't you come see me?]_

After a moment, Chloe responded.

 _[From Chloe: I don't think that's a good idea?]_  
_[To Chloe: Then I'll come see you.]  
_ _[From Chloe: No. Please. That's not a good idea.]_

This response frustrated Beca so she called Chloe. "Chlo, what's up? I thought you didn't have plans. I want to see you."

"Same here Beca, but it's not that easy." Chloe's voice was pained. "Tom… let's just say he doesn't share well."

That was the opening Beca had been waiting for. "Chloe, talk to me. Don't think I haven't noticed you haven't been yourself – not since we've been talking again." Chloe didn't respond. "I am glad we are talking again, but I miss you – the real you. Talk to me."

Beca could tell that Chloe was pondering what, if anything, she should say. "It's just hard for me to have friends, my own friends. He doesn't know who I talk to on the phone. I delete my messages and clear my phone history every day so he won't find out."

"CHLOE!"

"What? Please don't do this Beca. You said I could talk to you about anything. This is me talking."

Despite already knowing a lot of what went on between Chloe and Tom, hearing it directly from the horse's mouth infuriated Beca. "Why do you let him treat you that way? You deserve so much better." What Beca didn't say was that  _she_  could do better, blindfolded and her hands tied behind her back.

"It's just the way it is Beca. I don't see it changing. Please don't hate me for it."

* * *

The Tuesday of Spring Break, Beca was messing with her music up in her room. Despite having the house to herself, she was wearing her headphones out of habit. Her phone was tucked beneath her leg so she could feel vibrations of any messages or incoming calls. Regardless she jumped at an unexpected call, and her mouth split in a huge smile when she saw it was a call from Chloe.

"What an unexpected treat, Red! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Beca was a bit curious as to why Chloe called and didn't use FaceTime as she normally did.

"Whatcha doing Becs?"

Beca lifted the headphones from her neck to show them before remembering they were on a voice call. "Music stuff." Beca's doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting anyone but thought maybe her mom was getting a package. "Someone's here. Hang on. Beca trotted down the stairs and stood on her tippy toes to see out the peephole. Standing on her doorstep was no other than Chloe Beale.

She flung open the door, and both girls latched onto each other. Beca buried her head in Chloe's hair, breathing in her strawberry scented shampoo, in shock that her friend was on her door step. The feelings the brunette had been repressing since Halloween came flooding back as the redhead's arms were wrapped around her. Beca was becoming emotionally overwhelmed and couldn't afford to become a blithering fool. She broke the hug and dragged Chloe into her house.

"WHAT are you doing here?"

Chloe grinned at her and turned like she was going back out. "I can leave, if you want."

Beca grabbed her hand with a vicelike grip. "Absolutely not. It's just that you told me it wouldn't be a good idea for us to visit Spring Break."

"I have to be home early on Friday."

"What about… him?" Beca was afraid to even say Tom's name lest he appear at her doorstep.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Tom decided he wanted to go party with some of his college friends. He decided that seeing them was much more important than controlling what I did for the week. I'm sure he'll expect text messages and call several times a day to check up on me, but he didn't exactly forbid me from going out of town."

Beca wrinkled up her nose. "Forbid you? Seriously? Chloe, you are so much better than this."

Chloe didn't answer, just began to look around the house. "Show me your hostess prowess Mitchell. I want to see your house!"

Beca blushed as she realized they were still standing in the doorway. "Come in Beale. Can I get you something to drink? Soda, tea, water…?" Chloe shook her head then grabbed Beca's hand as the brunette showed her around the house. They ended up in her room where Chloe looked over Beca's equipment. She had seen that section of the brunette's room when they had FaceTimed last semester, but somehow seeing all the equipment together really made it seem real.

"You sure you aren't a DJ?" Chloe teased.

Beca rolled her eyes. "And I thought you wanted to stay here tonight. You know I want to produce music – not just spin records. We've talked about this."

Chloe then saw Beca's guitar where she had abandoned it on the bed right before Chloe had rang her doorbell. "Oh my god. You play?" Beca shyly nodded. Chloe stretched her arm out towards Beca, encouraging her to play. Beca shook her head. "Please?"

"Maybe later. Oh… I have to text my mom and let her know you are here. Give me a minute?" Beca shot off a few messages to her mother about Chloe surprising her and making sure there wouldn't be a problem with Chloe staying at the house until Friday.

After hearing back from her mom that Chloe was welcome at their house, Beca asked the redhead if she had any ideas of what she wanted to do. "I feel bad for not having anything planned. I wish I had known you were coming."

Chloe flashed a bright smile. "First, it was a last-minute decision, and second, had I told you, it wouldn't have been a surprise. She flopped down on the oversized beanbag on Beca's floor and patted the space beside her. "I'm jealous that both Emily and Stacie have got to listen to your mixes." She stuck her lower lip out in a pitiful manner.

The beanbag forced Beca to sit right next to Chloe, leaving zero space between them. Everything Beca felt for Chloe before Halloween was rushing back to her, leaving the brunette heady and confused. Beca could no longer let Chloe know how she felt. As much as she disagreed the way he treated her, Beca was trying to respect her friend's relationship with Tom. She had to reach down inside of her, grab that emotional handle and crank off her romantic feelings, leaving only the friendship love she had for Chloe.

She forced out a chuckle. "That… is easily solved. Damn Chlo, I can't believe you are here."

Chloe snaked her arm through Beca's elbow and held on tightly. "I'm glad I was able to make it. You were right when you said I haven't been acting myself. Maybe this trip will be just what I need to find myself again." She snuggled into the brunette.

"You know you have me trapped, right?" Beca didn't mind, but the situation was a bit awkward, at least for her. Her feelings for Chloe had come crashing right back down on top of her like a high-tide wave on breaker rocks while she knew that Chloe only had eyes for Tom.

Beca made good on Chloe's request to listen to her mixes. Before her mom came home, Beca played the mixes on the speakers – the bass reverberating off the walls and shaking the hanging pictures. The girls danced until they were all sweaty and exhausted. When her mom came home, Beca rigged up a splitter so they could each have a set of headphones to listen.

"This is draining Becs. Your music is amazing, and every mix compels me to dance! I thought Stacie was exaggerating when she told me how good you are."

Beca's heart was swelling at the unexpected praise from her crush. She adored making Chloe happy, even if she couldn't let her know how she felt. While she and Chloe had talked about music before, Beca had never felt that the redhead truly understood her.

* * *

The girls continued to listen to music and visit well into the night. At some point, they ordered Chinese delivery. When the driver came with their food, Beca went down to pay, and Chloe retrieved her bag from the car. They tore into the cartons, sharing boxes like they had been doing this as friends for years. The situation was comforting to Beca. She hoped that she would be able to keep her emotions in check and simply enjoy Chloe's company.

After dinner was finished, Beca trudged back upstairs with Chloe following along behind her. The redhead stopped outside Beca's bedroom door, looking uncomfortable. "Where do you want me to put my stuff Becs?"

Beca hadn't even thought of sleeping arrangements and felt ridiculous that she didn't have an immediate answer. They had a guest room, but she was feeling greedy and wanted Chloe in the same room as her. But her room only had one bed. She couldn't expect Chloe to sleep in her bed.

"Ummm you can sleep in the guest bedroom," Beca motioned to a room a few doors down. "We'll need to change the sheets, and I can't promise it's not musty in there. Or you can stay in here with me." Chloe grinned and took a step forward. "We'd still have to change the sheets, but… ummm I don't bite, I promise."

"I don't want to sleep in another room. How can we visit if I did that?" The redhead giggled as she pushed past Beca and tossed her bag on the floor. She dug out her pajamas, a pair of slippers, and headed to the bathroom.

Beca couldn't keep the smile off her face as she quickly changed the sheets on her bed and dug around for a t-shirt and pair of shorts to sleep in. When Chloe came back into the room, Beca froze. " _What_  are on your feet?" Beca pointed.

"Duh! Hedgehog slippers." Chloe smirked and plopped down on Beca's bed as the brunette rolled her eyes and went to change.

Once both girls were snuggled into bed, Chloe immediately wrapped herself around Beca, snuggling her face into Beca's back. "Comfy," she announced. They visited for a bit longer before Chloe drifted off to sleep.

Chloe's arms were loosely wrapped around Beca's stomach who had to adjust some to get comfortable. She needed to get herself into a different position when suddenly she found that she had adjusted herself to where one of Chloe's arms was pressed firmly into the underside of Beca's breast. The brunette slowly kept trying to rearrange their bodies and limbs. She finally got to where she felt she could sleep without her mind racing a million miles an hour and fell asleep.

In the wee hours of the early morning, Beca woke up unable to move. She quickly remembered that Chloe had surprised her the day before and was sleeping in her bed. And then… she felt it. Her t-shirt had somehow ridden up during the night, and Chloe's arm had slipped beneath the cloth. Beca had struggled enough before, but now, Chloe was inadvertently cupping her bare breast in her hand.


	9. New Beginnings - Year 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beca is 16, Chloe and Stacie are 17, Emily is 15, Aubrey is 19

 

Chloe was sitting on the stage in the dining hall, arms wrapped around her legs. "I can't believe Beca's not coming to camp this summer." Stacie was leaned against the stage. "I… she… we never even talked about things. I guess I just assumed she'd be here." She hid her face in her arms.

The taller counselor reached over and rubbed her friend's back. "You can talk to her during your time off."

"It's not the same Stace. I need her, her support." Chloe reached up and wiped off some tears drifting down her cheeks.

"Tom's a prick Chloe. He never treated you right. You deserved so much better. You always have."

"I guess I just didn't expect him to dump me right before summer break.  _We just won't make it long distance when I leave for college._ " Chloe's voice was mocking Tom's excuse for breaking up with Chloe. "I should have known something was up when he spent Spring Break with his friends."

Stacie grinned at the door Chloe had just opened. "Yeah Spring Break, what happened then? You and Beca hardly were speaking then suddenly  _bam_  you were back to being all buddy, buddy."

* * *

**_Flashback to Spring Break – Chloe_ **

_When Chloe felt Beca squirming a bit, she woke up and realized that her arm had slipped beneath Beca's sleep t-shirt and her hand had somehow landed on Beca's breast. The redhead tried to figure out how to best get out of the gropy situation while acting like she was still asleep so as to not embarrass her younger friend. Chloe released Beca's breast then stretched her hands way out in front of her, slipping them out of the shirt Beca was sleeping in. The redhead then turned over, snuggling up to Beca, trying to act like she was still asleep. She couldn't see Beca's face, but she could have sworn the brunette sighed in relief as her sensitive body part had been freed from Chloe's grasp. Beca tucked her arms in front of herself and fell back to sleep._

_The two friends spent next three days of Spring Break visiting all Beca's haunts including one day at Six Flags. One afternoon at lunch, Chloe came running back from visiting the restroom with a flyer in her hand. "Beca, look! The place next door has open mic nights on Thursdays. We should go."_

_The brunette chuckled. "You just want to hear me play my guitar."_

_Chloe grinned. "Guilty as charged."_

**_End Flashback_ **

* * *

"I can't believe you told her you aren't coming this year. That's cruel and unusual punishment Becs." Emily had made her and Beca's mom sit at another booth in the café claiming the need for teen privacy. They had met at a café close to Camp Barden for one last non-camp meal. From there, Beca was going to hitch a ride with the Junks to camp while Beca's mom went back to work.

"Honestly Ems, I was wavering for a while. You are going to be in Leadership-In-Training classes this summer, and we both know how I feel about leadership. But when I read about the Night Owl session, I felt it was right up my alley. Stay up late, sleep late, go on adventures in the dark, maybe stir up some trouble, you know me." Beca grinned at her younger friend. "I thought just showing up would be a nice surprise for Chloe."

"I'm glad you two are talking again Becs. You were miserable after Halloween."

Beca had not told Emily about what happened the first night of Spring Break she and Chloe had slept in the same bed. The next morning, Chloe had acted nothing had happened. Beca had been so overjoyed that her friend had showed up on her doorstep and walked back into her life that she wasn't willing to make a big deal about the discomfort she had felt until Chloe had rearranged herself. The tiny brunette was convinced the slip was inadvertent and attributed it to Chloe being… well Chloe.

"Me, too Emily. I still can't stand the way Tom treats her, but she's asked me to support her decisions. So I do." Beca shrugged. "Maybe he'll be the ultimate dick and break up with her this summer. Then I can swoop in and save the day."

"Oh so you are still holding a torch for our redheaded friend!"

"Ummm have you seen her Ems. Of course I am."

Emily liked seeing her friend regain her confidence where her crush was concerned. She had no doubts that once Chloe was single, Beca would make sure the redhead knew how she felt about her – after a respectable time had passed of course.

"I did ask her what was up with her camp name,  _Redbird_. I mean, what gives with that? I told her she should have gone with Ladybug. Much more suitable." Emily nodded. "What's your camp name going to be?"

Emily shrugged. "I don't have to pick until CIT training next summer."

"Long as you run it past me first. Understood?" Both girls giggled.

* * *

After lunch, Emily's mom took them both to camp. At check-in, Beca asked what unit Redbird was working in this session. The camp director was new and looked at her oddly before telling Beca that there was not a Redbird working there this summer. Beca's heart dropped into her stomach. If Chloe hadn't come this summer, maybe her sneaky trick of fibbing to her redheaded friend had backfired.

As she went to turn to head to her unit, Pitch walked up. "Beca. I didn't think you were coming this summer."

The camper gave her a sheepish grin and scuffed her tennis shoe against the dirt. "I was messing with Redbird. Looks like it flopped. Now she's not here."

Pitch tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder as she laughed. "Chill Beca. She's here. She's just not Redbird anymore. She changed her name to Ladybug. Much more suitable, don't you think?" Beca was now grinning. "She's in Hofwyl, where you spent your first summer. I take it you are headed there first since she thinks you aren't here this summer." Pitch checked her clipboard. "And you are in Etowah for the Night Owl session. It's a smaller unit, but I think you'll fit right in."

"Thanks Pitch. At least you don't have to put up with me." Beca grinned at the tall, blonde counselor.

"Go see Ladybug. I have a feeling she's going to be happy to see you. She was pretty bummed earlier."

* * *

Beca meandered her way towards the unit she had been in when she came to Camp Barden two years ago. She stopped at the edge of the campsite and watched as Chloe aka Ladybug welcomed the young campers into their unit and walked them to their cabins. The brunette leaned against one of the trees and simply watched.

As there was a break in the stream of campers, Beca decided to approach her redheaded crush. When Chloe saw her, she took like a cartoon doubletake before squealing and trotting towards Beca. (No running in camp, please.) She launched herself at Beca, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl, trying to decide if she should laugh in joy or cry in relief to see her friend.

"Beca!? What are you doing here?"

"Checking in for camp. Well not here. I'm in Etowah for the Night Owl session. But Pitch suggested I might come here first. Ask for a counselor named Ladybug?" Beca grinned as she teased her friend.

"You were right." Chloe stuck her tongue out at the camper. "Ladybug does suit me better than Redbird. I caught a lot of flack for changing my camp name, but meh." She threw her arms around Beca again and buried her face into the camper's hair. "I am so glad you are here."

"Me, too, Chlo. Me, too."

"We need to talk, but not now. You said Etowah?" Beca nodded. "Pongo is one of your counselors. I'm sure she'll let us talk." Chloe's eyes were watering thinking about how Tom had broken up with her. She was dying to talk to her friend about everything.

"What's up Ladybug?" Beca was concerned as she sensed her friend's distress.

"Later Becs. I promise. I have to get back to my girls." She squeezed Beca's hand and walked away, feeling more warmth in her chest than she had in weeks.

* * *

Beca got checked into her unit. Pongo told her that they only had seven campers for the Night Owl session. "We are going to have so much fun." The counselor was extremely excited. "We're staying up late and sleeping in every morning to see how the other half lives. After all, that's what summer was made for! We'll rise late and prepare our own breakfast each day."

"Once we're up and at 'em, we're going to have a blast canoeing, crafting, and shooting archery. In the evenings, we'll enjoy a late-night glow swim in the pool, do some campfire cooking, take a night hike and learn about the critters that inhabit the night, get out the telescopes and explore the night sky, learn about night time careers, campout under the stars and check out what happens at camp while everyone else is in bed! We'll finish our time by planning an extreme night time party. Maybe we'll invite other units; maybe we won't. But I promise you Beca, we are going to have a blast."

Beca laughed at the exuberance of the counselor. Suddenly the camper's heart jumped out of her chest as a strong pair of arms wrapped around her, picked her up and spun her around. A very familiar cackling exploded in her ear. "My god Legs. Put me down." Beca was furiously kicking, trying to free herself from the counselor's grasp.

Stacie let her friend down, and Beca dizzily stumbled a bit. "I didn't think you were coming this summer. Yet my eyes deceive me and here you are. Eh, what's up with that?"

"Just messing with Ladybug; that's all. Playing another prank, if you will." Pongo raised her eyebrows at this comment and went to greet another camper, leaving the two friends to catch up.

"You know she was devastated, right?"

Beca's forehead wrinkled up in confusion. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"Have you seen her?" Beca nodded. "If she didn't tell you yet, then it's definitely her story to tell. But I'm glad to see you bud. This summer is going to be a blast."

* * *

Once the handful of campers were all checked in, Pongo, Legs held an Etowah unit meeting. "I hope you know this is the first Night Owl session we've ever had here at Camp Barden." They talked about things that the counselors had planned and got some feedback from the campers about some things they thought would be fun.

The girls also came up with some meal ideas as many of them had been involved in  _Kickin' It Like Katniss_  the previous year. Legs and Pongo offered their two cents as well. "For now, we get to go to dinner with the riff-raff. It's time to head to the dining hall. Grab your stuff."

When the small unit arrived at the lodge, many of the girls saw some of their friends from other years and spread out to other tables. Beca found herself sitting at a table with Emily, Ladybug, and a few other girls. "A big Leader-In-Training Ems. I'm proud of you." Ladybug was chipper, flamboyant almost. "Unlike our dissenter friend here."

"Oh Beca has big plans to rebel against the world, right?"

"Yeah, that's me with my plans to overrule Earth using only my music and ideas of practical jokes. At night." The camper laughed, delighted to be back with her friends at one of the places she felt completely herself.

"Becs, I talked to Pongo." Chloe sat up, leaning towards her smaller friend. "Your unit is having a campfire tonight, s'mores and stuff. She said I could come by, if that's okay with you. I have about an hour off tonight. At eight." She looked at Beca questioningly.

"Ch…Ladybug. Of course it's okay.

* * *

After singing time, the Etowah girls trekked back to their small unit, collecting wood as they went. Legs let them know that, as much as they'd be using the campfire, there was no such thing as too much wood. "The ranger has some fuel that's nice and dry from the winter he's stacked for us, but we need lots of tinder and kindling."

The campers laid the fire when Legs pirouetted into the fire circle. The campers gasped when she announced she was going to show them how to "make a fire with nothing more than two sticks". Even Pongo didn't believe her.

Finally, Beca called her bluff. "Come on Legs, you can't make a fire with just two sticks." She chucked her taller friend in the shoulder.

"Sure can! Long as one of them is a match!" Everyone groaned as Legs waved a box of matches around in the air. "Seriously though. Later we are going to learn alternative ways to make fire. But for now, we are going to use a match." She offered the box to one of the younger campers who immediately got a good flame going and the fire built up.

Pongo had unlocked the storage cabinet in the unit shelter and pulled out the makings for the s'mores along with the long skewers for toasting the marshmallows. About the time Beca was finishing her second s'more, Ladybug showed up. The camper was licking sticky marshmallow off her fingers.

She offered to make a s'more for Ladybug who screwed up her nose. "You know you just licked your fingers, right?" The redhead went over to the table to grab her own fixings for the dessert. Once she roasted two marshmallows and sandwiched them between the graham crackers with the chocolate, she settled down next to Beca and handed her one of the s'mores. They were leaned against one of the large tree trunks the campers used to sit on around the fire.

"I'm really glad you're here Becs." Chloe leaned against her friend's shoulder.

"So you've said before. Hey, I'm sorry I lied to you and told you I wasn't coming. I thought I was being funny."

"It's okay. What's important is that you are here now."

Beca chuckled. "What had you upset earlier? When I came by your unit?"

Chloe blew her hair out of her face as she dropped her eyes to her feet stretched out in front of her. "Tom… " Beca's stomach involuntarily clenched. She had hoped to go the entire summer without hearing that name. "Tom dumped me."

Beca's head whipped around to stare at Chloe. "When?" She struggled to choke the words out.

"Last week. The day before I left to come here."

"Douche." Beca reached over to grab her friend's hand. "Can I say that now?"

Using her other hand, Chloe wiped her eyes and gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "Yeah Becs, you can."

"I'm sorry Chlo. I've always thought you deserved better than that, than him."

"What's so funny… is that after I got over the initial shock, all I could think about was you. You make everything… better."

Beca was glad that the only light around them came from the campfire. Her face was flushed with embarrassment from Chloe's praise. As well her mind was spinning from the conversation that she had just had with Emily at lunch earlier that day.  _Maybe he'll be the ultimate dick and break up with her this summer. Then I can swoop in and save the day._

"I'm glad you feel that. I'm not sure what to do for you or even to say."

Chloe hooked her arm into Beca's elbow and squeezed. "Just be yourself Becs. And with that, I need to get back to my unit." The redhead climbed to her feet and pulled Beca to hers. She gave the camper a swift kiss on the cheek and left.

"You look shocked." The voice that came from behind her caused her to jump. Beca looked at Legs with a near blank look on her face. "You okay?"

Beca nodded. "He dumped her? Really?" Legs nodded her head. "How's she doing? Honestly?"

The taller counselor draped her arm around her shorter friend's shoulder. "Better since you are here, I'm sure."

* * *

Beca didn't allow herself to think about the redhead until she had crawled into her cot. However, when she did get herself situated and closed her eyes, her emotions hit her like a train. Her feelings flooded through her as the realization that Chloe was actually single. She thought back to Halloween weekend. One moment she was convinced she was going to spill her guts to Chloe and the next instant her world was crashing down around her.

Now that her crush was not tied down by a total dickhead, Beca had to figure out how to come clean to the redhead. And do it at camp. Her nerves were shot. Suddenly she sat straight up, remembering something in her trunk. She reached into her shelving unit and fumbled until she found a small penlight. She didn't want to wake her cabin mates.

Beca quietly pulled her trunk from beneath her cot and rummaged around a bit until she found what she was looking for, three small stuffed animals. She suddenly was glad Emily was in another unit and Legs was in her own cabin because she'd surely be teased. She flipped off the light and crawled into bed with the little toys in her arms.

"Hi Dorothy." She waved a small ladybug beanie baby around in the air before placing her on the mattress. "Dot, get it, like the dots on your back, you get to meet your new mama tomorrow. You're really going to like her. I know I told you her name is Chloe before. But you gotta call her Ladybug, k?" Beca giggled. "Ironic, huh? Since you are a ladybug and all."

Next, she pulled out a larger but still small reddish orange creature with brown patches under her eyes, white nose, and white ears. "Lil Red, you are so darned adorable. When I saw the big you at the zoo over Spring Break with Chloe, errrr Ladybug, I about died. Beca squished the red panda animals face between her palms then placed her next to Dot. "You are so adorable. You are like a fox and a raccoon and a bear and a dog and a cat. You are like every adorable animal in one animal." She grinned as she danced the red panda back and forth. "I named you Lil' Red cuz Chloe – Ladybug – she's Big Red. You may visit her from time to time this summer, but you have to always come home to me."

Finally, Beca pulled out a toad which was easily twice the size of dot but not quiet as big as Lil' Red. "Toad! My man! Thanks for not eating Dot in that trunk. I hope you know that  _you_  came to camp because there are so many darned mosquitos out here. I thought we could be mutually beneficial. Toad, I love you dude."

Beca looked at the beanie babies she had brought and flopped onto her back. She tucked Lil' Red into the crook of one elbow and Toad into the crook over the other. With Dot clutched in her hand, she fell asleep - thinking, hoping, praying - that just across the camp, Chloe was thinking about her, too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who haven't read The Project Manager and the Cleaning Lady, the beanies have their own Instagram - toadnfriends. They haven't been working much but should have some more adventures soon.


	10. Snipe Hunt

Stacie snapped a few pictures, trying to not wake Beca by laughing. She had gone in to wake up the girls in the cabin for breakfast, and the tiny camper was laying on her stomach with three beanie babies tucked inside the crook of one elbow. Some girls woke up with the counselor came in, but Legs made sure they all stayed quiet until she got the photographic evidence she needed.

When she kicked Beca's bed, the camper just groaned and pulled the covers over her head. "Mms early. G' 'way."

"Goodness Beca, every other summer you've had no problem getting up much earlier than this. Come on. It's time for breakfast." Legs kicked her friend's cot.

"I came to night session for a reason  _Legs_. Don wanna get up. Not night. Is daylight."

"It's almost eleven Becs. You can get up or miss breakfast. Your choice." She looked out the cabin where the other campers were gathered around Pongo as she was pulling foil wrapped breakfast tacos out of the coals of last night's fire. "But choose quickly before all the tacos are gone."

At  _tacos,_  Beca popped out of bed and quickly pulled on sweats and her slides. She put her hair up in a messy bun as she made her way out to the campfire.

"Just in time Ms. Mitchell," Pongo laughed. She pointed at the few tacos that were left. "OJ is in the cooler. Might be a carton or two of milk left as well." When Beca stuck out her lip in a mock pout, Pongo teasingly chided her. "Well next time when Legs says it's time to get up… get up."

After breakfast was done and everything was cleaned up, the girls took their time getting ready to head to the waterfront. The rest of the camp was just now headed to lunch then Turtle Time would be at least an hour. Etowah would have the water front to themselves for a while. The seven girls and two counselors decided that their first day would be all about fun in the sun. They made sure to slather themselves carefully with sunscreen since they would be on the water during the hottest part of the day.

As the Etowah unit made their way to the lake, the decision was made to conquer the huge water slide and the big, bouncy balloon, two of the more fun activities on the lake. The girls were all older and blue bands, so most of the safety precautions put in place for the younger units were released. Since there were only seven girls, Pongo and Legs would take turns in the lifeguard chair on shore keeping a close eye.

When they arrived at the lake, all the campers claimed a space under the sprawling oak tree, threw down their stuff, and ran into the lake. Except Beca. She spread out her towel and gently placed Toad, Lil Red, and Dot on the towel. She then pulled out three pair of sunglasses to somewhat balance on each of their faces. She took a picture with her digital camera before trotting towards the lake. As she passed Legs, she pointed over her shoulder. "Watch the kids, will you? They are red bands and can't swim." Beca took a long dive into the water and swam to her new friends.

When Pongo and Legs saw the toys, they both burst out laughing. Legs had to keep an eye on the swimmers, but Pongo went and retrieved the kids and their sunglasses. They posed on the lifeguard stand, the kayak rack, and all the places the counselors could think of before the campers came back and Beca busted them with her kids.

"This is  _so_  not Beca," Legs said. "This morning when I went in to wake them up, she was sleeping with them in the bend of her elbow. Crazy. But that's okay. I have picture proof!" The kids were back on their towel and sunglasses when the campers were called back in from the water, and Beca was none the wiser about the adventures the beanie babies had been on. Before Beca could shove them into her bag, the other campers caught sight of the kids and began to ooh and ahh over them, stealing poses with their favorite.

* * *

After the light breakfast and extra time in the sun and water, the girls were famished. They went back to the unit, changed into dry clothes, and headed to the dining hall. Lunch was the salad bar and sandwiches which suited the campers just fine since they were starving. The cooks came out to visit with them while they ate.

The head cook, camp name 'Cookie', of course, gave the girls an interesting proposal. "We've always wanted to try something like this but never knew how to pull it off." She explained kitchen raids she wanted to start. The Etowyl campers would prowl into a unit right after Lights Out and get the girls redressed, preferably in all dark clothing. They'd grab flashlights and sneak to the dining hall while avoiding other strategically placed staff who would mess with them a bit without ruining the fun. There would conveniently be some contraband snacks waiting in the walk-in cooler which the unit would grab and race back to the unit before chowing down on the treats.

The campers fell in love with the idea that they would get to be involved in the "corruption" of the other girls. Beca raised her hand. "I'm worried about the younger unit. Being out that late is going to scare them. But I have an idea that may help that. Have you guys ever been on a snipe hunt?" She explained what her older cousins would make them do when they'd go on hunting trips.

"They'd give us burlap bags or whatever to put the snipes in when we caught them. Our cousins were the only one with flashlights and we had to creep quietly down the path. They'd claim to see one or two in the bushes and whisper 'snipe, snipe'. We were too young to understand they were yanking our chain and didn't want to be the only ones who couldn't see the imaginary things. Eventually, not wanting to be left out, we all claimed to have seen them, too, and were running around like fools to try to get some in our bag."

Everyone around the table was rolling by this time. "You know, I'm sure it would only work once, so we could take everyone on a snipe hunt, even the older girls. We'd just have to swear them to secrecy. If it works, then next year, we could only take the younger kids." Legs was laughing so hard she could barely talk. "Let's do it. I'll round up some burlap bags."

* * *

After the girls finished lunch and helped the cooks store the left-over salad and clean up, they went into one of the craft rooms which housed a wall of books on everything from animals to campfire recipes to astronomy. Once everyone was seated, Pongo pulled out a small bucket with some folded pieces of paper. "Okay gals, Legs and I call this Night Sky Observer. We are going to do some research about the constellations and share our stories with each other." She passed around the bucket and got each person to take out a piece of paper but instructed them to keep it folded.

"Together we are going to research Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, one of the most recognizable group of stars for people in the Northern Hemisphere. Each of you are holding the constellation or star you are going to research." She motioned for them to open their papers and read them out loud to the group. 'Ursa Minor – the Little Dipper', 'Polaris – the North Star', 'Leo', 'The Summer Triangle', 'Scorpius', 'Sagittarius', and finally Beca's turn revealed 'Cassiopeia'.

Pongo waved her hand at the shelves behind her. "And we are going to do our research the old school way, with books." The campers gave a collective groan. "If Legs and I feel you need more to go on, we'll figure something out. But I think you'll be surprised at what you can learn from books."

The group spent the better part of their time after lunch scouring the books for information about Ursa Major. They learned its name means "the great bear," or "the larger bear" in Latin. Beca came across a convoluted myth about Callisto, a nymph who was turned into a bear by Zeus' wife Hera after her husband had a son with Callisto. "That's some major Greek drama," Beca chuckled. "Are they all like this?" Pongo laughed and told her she'd have to wait and see.

The girls then discovered the Big Dipper is the third largest constellation in the sky and is made up of seven major stars. "The stars are lined up in some pretty special ways, but I'll leave that to you ladies to figure that out." Pongo was secretly glad that the girls seemed interested.

Other campers were starting to fill the dining hall so the Etowyl packed up their things and headed back to the unit. Beca caught a glimpse of Ladybug who was sitting next to Emily. Emily saw Beca and began waving furiously. The tall LIT poked Ladybug in the ribs and pointed towards Beca. They gave each other a small wave before Beca jogged to catch up with her unit. While she was sure that the night thing was what she wanted to do this summer, she felt odd not being in a unit with either Emily or Chloe.

* * *

As the girls arrived at Etowah, Legs called for them to come to the campfire circle. "Pongo and I have tried to come up with some crafts that might interest you since you guys are older. Would you be interested in learning how to make a slide whistle?" The excitement and clamoring of the campers answered Legs in no uncertain terms.

She made everybody spread way out  _and_  promise to be exceedingly careful as she handed out the supplies which only consisted of a pocket knife, a whet stone and a small piece of willow branch about six to eight inches long. The group first covered knife safety to make sure that everyone understood the proper way to cut and how to keep from 'getting blood on your whistle', as Legs put it. Next, they learned how to use the whet stone 'because a sharp knife is a safer knife'.

Beca had her tongue stuck out as she concentrated on making her cuts exact. She cut a 45-degree bevel on one end of the stick which would be mouthpiece of the whistle. On top of the stick, just a bit down a bit, she cut a notch with a 90-degree edge close to the bevel and angle off the top. "Who would have thought geometry would come in handy at camp?" She was smirking at her math joke.

Legs showed them how to decide how long they wanted their whistle to be and to cut the bark around the stick there. The campers then followed the counselors' instructions by tapping the whistle with the handle of their knife to loosen the bark until they could gently twist to pull the bark off in one piece. After fiddling with the stick a bit to cut some additional pieces off, the campers were quickly blowing into their whistles, sliding the stick up and down in the bark for cool variable tones.

The delighted campers began to walk around camp, playing random notes. Pongo looked at Legs, rolling her eyes. "I guess we didn't think this through enough." About that time Beca blew her whistle right in Legs ear and ran off, laughing.

* * *

As night fell, the Etowah campers got increasingly excited. Tonight, was the first big snipe hunt and they would be raiding the Echota unit. "This is the unit where the Leaders-In-Training are staying. Hopefully when the older girls catch on, they'll play along for the younger girls' sake. The only persons who know are the counselors, one of whom is Pitch. She's not too sold on the idea, so we need to make sure she has fun." Legs handed out black skull caps to go along with the black t-shirts the campers had. The girls took turns using football eye-black under each other's eyes just to be silly.

Beca showed them how she would sneak in and get the campers dressed, quickly but while building excitement. She then led her fellow campers around the perimeter of the unit showing them how to properly run a snipe hunt. Before they left, Beca asked if she could get the LIT cabin. "Even though Emily's my friend, I think this will throw her totally off-guard. I'd pay admission to see it."

Etowah snuck into the Echota unit and split up with their counselors so the girls wouldn't be so scared. The younger campers were scared at first when they saw people in all black come into their cabins. Lights in the cabin weren't allowed, and even though the girls were encouraged to grab their flashlights, they were told to not turn them on. Outside the cabins, the burlap bags were distributed, and the Etowah campers told their tale about "going on a snipe hunt". The group of campers disbursed either down different paths or spread out.

Beca was first to strike. She shined a light into the bushes. "I see one. There." She pointed excitedly. "Oh, TWO. Their eyes are glowing." Her group leaned towards the brush and one girl exclaimed she didn't see anything but branches and leaves. Beca turned to her and held her finger to her mouth. "Shhh they are sensitive. I think those got scared off." As the journey to the dining hall continued, more and more girls were able to "see" the snipes and all the Etowah campers had caught a few. Everyone who was in on the gag was having a hard time keeping from laughing.

By now, Emily was getting frustrated as she had yet to be able to see a snipe, and it never dawned on her that her best friend would be playing a practical joke. Each girl from Emily's cabin had already admitted to seeing them. "Dude, Ems. It's right there. Didn't you see it?" Emily peered into the woods with a discouraged look on her face. Some of the younger girls from the unit who 'thought they saw one' were now beginning to get suspicious since the older girl couldn't. Beca dragged Emily off the trail a bit, pulling her down to whisper in her ear. "Ems. It's a joke; play along." She then repeated louder. "Dude, it's right there. Go get it." She shined her light on a stick and pushed Emily forward a bit.

Emily grabbed the stick and put it in her bag and came back out. "I got one. I got one. They are so many snipes out there." She waved the bag around for the younger girls showing there was a little weight in her bag. The younger girls looked at her in awe that she was actually  _able to catch a snipe._  Pongo and Legs decided to not chance any additional risk and hurried the campers to the dining hall.

Once all the girls were seated, the staff and Etowah campers let the Echota girls in on the joke. One girl was like, "but Emily caught one! I'm so confused." When Emily dumped the stick out of the bag, everyone thought this was the best prank ever. They explained that other units were going to be going on snipe hunts as well, so they were sworn to secrecy so not to ruin anyone else's fun.

Pitch then selected a girl from each cabin to go to the walk-in cooler and find the milk-crates labeled  _For Echota's Snipes Only_. Everyone got excited all over again when they learned about the late-night snacks they were going to get back in their unit. They thanked the girls which had fondly been dubbed the Night Owls and headed back to their unit.

Legs and Pongo sent three campers to the walk-in to get their dinner. Because time would be limited when they were doing night raids, the kitchen had agreed to provide them heat and serve meals. Tonight was lasagna, vegetables, and garlic bread. All that was needed was a camp fire.

* * *

The next few days followed the same pattern. The Etowah girls would get up late and have breakfast in their unit. Sometimes it was Eggs in an Orange or Campfire Hash. Once they even had Breakfast Pizza. Then the rest of the morning and early afternoon would be spent at the lakefront tiring themselves out in the sun. Lunch was almost always the same – salad bar and sandwiches. Then they would work on their astronomy projects.

As the Etowah girls left the dining hall during regular dinner, Beca would find herself automatically scanning the chow hall for Chloe or Emily. Each time she did see Chloe, the redhead was always watching her, without fail. Beca would try to keep from blushing and go over to say hi and get a Chloe-hug. Sometimes Emily would be there as well. Despite Beca missing both her friends, she was still getting a chance to visit some.

Finally, Hofwyl's turn for the snipe hunt came around. Being the youngest campers, Legs and Pongo had scheduled them last in fear they wouldn't be able to keep a secret from their friends in other units. At dinner that day, while getting her Chloe-fix, Beca whispered. "See you tonight." The redheaded counselor squealed and exclaimed she couldn't wait.

When Etowah arrived, Chloe was paired with Beca and immediately stole her black skull cap. Before Beca could protest, the redhead reached up and drew her thumbs across the area below Beca's eyes. The camper was frozen in place at such close contact. Chloe twittered and painted under her own eyes. "Now I'm dark, too."

"You'll never be dark,  _Ladybug."_  Beca teased as they headed towards the cabin of girls they oversaw. The Etowah campers had gotten better at explaining the snipe hunt and more efficient in hooking the other campers into the game. As Beca and Ladybug led the girls down the darkened path, the redhead hooked her arm into Beca's claiming she was afraid of the dark and didn't want a snipe to 'get her'. Beca rolled her eyes but didn't pull away.

Of course, Ladybug was one of the first to see a snipe and kept trying to catch one but couldn't. She had her girls laughing at her antics of bumbling through the woods and jumping every time she thought she saw something. When they finally arrived at the dining hall, Ladybug acted aghast that snipes weren't real and continued to insist she saw one, 'several in fact'. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a long feather. "I almost caught one. I did get this feather though." This confused the youngest of girls who now weren't sure whether snipes were real or not.

When the kids went to get their snipe snacks, Chloe let Beca know that she had some time off after the girls got back in bed. "Pongo said I could visit. What do you think?"

"Ummm y-y-yeah well yes!" Beca was stuttering in excitement. She had been thinking about Chloe non-stop and was genuinely upset they hadn't been able to spend time together. She'd even take a bucket of water to the face in her cot at this point. "I'd love that. Oh! I have something for you, well someone – I think that's more appropriate." Beca explained there hadn't been a chance to deliver her gift earlier and promised she'd do so that night.

* * *

Chloe showed up about the time the Echota girls were finishing dinner. Normally they would have free time. Some had really gotten interested in astronomy and would spend time in the clearing trying to spot their constellations and practicing their stories. Others would write while some would just visit.

"You said you had someone for me? That's so silly Beca." Chloe was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Despite what Chloe said, Beca knew the redhead loved surprises, silly or not.

Beca's cabinmates had gotten used to her eccentricities, particularly when it came to the beanie babies, so Beca took Ladybug back to her cabin. As they sat down, the camper hid the toys beneath the pillow choosing to introduce them one at a time. "This," she said pulling out the frog, "is Toad. He's on a strict, non-insect diet." Beca made a few frog-like noises before placing Toad on Chloe's lap. "Remember when we went to the zoo?" Chloe nodded. "What was my favorite animal?"

"The Red Panda. Duh. You went apeshit."

Beca pulled out the red panda and introduced her. "This is Lil Red. She's named after you cuz you are Big Red."

Chloe gave a shriek and grabbed the red panda, letting the beanie baby kiss all over her face. "So sweet!"

"And this…" Beca pulled out the tiny ladybug. "Is Dorothy. She prefers to be called Dot though."

Chloe's eyes widened before she gave a shrill scream again. "Oh. My. Gawd. She's adorable! Hi Dot, I'm Chloe. But I go by Ladybug. Oh it's such a pleasure to meet you."

"You like her?" Chloe shook her head furiously. "Good because she's your surprise. Your someone." Beca braced herself because she knew what was coming next. The redhead flung her arms around the camper's neck. "Oh Becs, she's lovely. Thank you."

Two other campers were across the cabin watching the exchanged looks and rolled their eyes. "You owe me five bucks," one said. Beca and Ladybug both looked over at them; the camper raising her eyebrows. "I bet her that Dot was for Ladybug here. Are you guys friends?"

Chloe nodded when the other spoke. "Well Beca takes those characters with her everywhere she goes. We all have pictures of them. They're cute, especially in shades."

Counselor and camper excused themselves to go outside. Beca let Legs know they were going to walk around the outskirts of the unit. When the two were no longer in the unit lights, Chloe slipped her arm through Beca's. The camper was so glad that it was dark so the huge swallow she took was not seen. While she loved being close to her friend, Chloe made her nervous.

"How's being a Night Owl?" Chloe laid her head on Beca's shoulder as they walked. If she noticed Beca struggling with her words, she didn't notice. The camper told her all they were learning with the astronomy studies. Chloe stopped and turned to face Beca. "I've missed visiting with you Becs."

Beca nodded. "I hear you Chlo. How have  _you_  been? With you know who out of the picture and all. Hanging in there?"

"You know who is right. Who? One thing about this summer is that I've had a lot of time to think about Tom. I should have listened to you sooner. You and Stace. You had him pegged from the beginning. Then I realized how you supported me through everything even though you disliked the guy. You are such a good friend Becs. Thanks." She leaned her forward and place her head against Beca's.

The camper's eyes were screwed shut. All she could do was stand there, feeling Chloe's breath against her face. Her mind was racing, thoughts pinging all the place – the one in the forefront of her mind was the same one she was struggling with Halloween weekend. Telling Chloe how she felt about her. But somehow being at camp made that seem a little awkward. She eased her eyes open to find Chloe's eyes locked onto hers, the ocean blue color clear in the dark as in the light.

Chloe moved her head from Beca's yet leaned her face closer until she was able to press her lips against Beca's cheek. The contact lasted long enough for Beca to take two long deep breaths. When the counselor pulled away, her eyes brightened again. "Thanks for Dot Beca. She's adorable. One thing though. Dot's not my person.  _You_ are my person.""

They held hands as they walked back to the unit until they got to the lighted part of the unit. Beca gave Chloe a brief hug and went to her cabin. Chloe went to bide goodbye to Pongo and Legs then left to return to Hofwyl.

Beca showered and crawled into her cot. Her cabin mates were either in the shower or outside still. Toad and Lil Red had a conversation with Beca laying on her stomach animating them. "Where's Dot mama?"

"She went to live with Ladybug, Toad."

"I miss her." Beca bowed Lil Red's head in sadness.

"I'm sure you do, but I bet Ladybug will let you visit?"

"Like a sleepover?" Toad was excited.

"Yeah, like a sleepover."

Beca tucked the remaining beanie babies in the crook of her elbow and fell asleep, again smiling about Chloe.


	11. Challenge Me This

"Mitchell, rise and shine." Stacie shook the camper's tent for her mid-morning wake-up call. The unit had slept in tents under the stars for their first night to really examine the astronomy they had been studying for their project. "Becs, come on. Breakfast starts in ten." Stacie turned to go to the next tent when she heard a giggling coming from the tent, and she was positive Beca Mitchell did  _not_  giggle.

The counselor went back to the tent opening and ripped the zipper down. She saw not one, but two bodies in the tent. " _Ladybug?"_  Chloe pulled the top sheet over her head and peeked out at her friend. " _What the fuck are you doing in Beca's tent?_ " Stacie was trying to whisper, but she was livid.

The redheaded counselor smirked then stuck her lip out in a pout before whispering back. "I fell asleep. It's my twenty-four off, so I came to visit with Beca. And I fell asleep."

"Wake her up and get her out for breakfast. Then when we go to the lake, get the fuck out of here. And don't get caught. God Chloe. You are going to be the death of me."

* * *

**_The Previous Night_ **

As the dark crept in, the counselors let the campfire dwindle to coals. The girls all brought out their blankets and laid grouped up looking skyward. Pongo started off by going through the tale of the Great Bear, Ursa Major, aka the Big Dipper. Each camper then took their turn explaining how to locate her constellation from the Big Dipper then explaining the stories behind each.

"You girls have done great. I've seen your poster boards, too." Pongo's voice was proud as she praised the campers. "I'd like to put them up in the dining hall and see if we can garner some interest. Then maybe take some of the other units on a stargazing trip."

The campers were excited about bringing the start of another tradition at Camp Barden. They had all attended the camp several years and loved it. But with the addition of the snipe hunts and now stargazing, they were making the experience only better for campers to come. At this point, the time was nearing midnight. Many campers were beginning to yawn and wandered off to their tents to crawl into their beds for the night.

Beca gave a huge yawn as she threw open the flaps to her tent. When she began to crawl in, imagine her surprise to see someone already in her tent. A hand was clamped over her mouth before she could scream. Another hand reached towards her, grasping her wrist. and pulling inside. "Shhhhhhhhh," Chloe hissed. "It's me." The camper scrambled into the tent quickly zipping up the flaps.

"What are you doing in here?" Beca whispered. Her question was smooshed out of her when Chloe wrapped her arms around the camper for a big hug.

"It's my twenty-four off. I went into town for dinner then came back. You guys were here, so I snuck into your tent to wait. I know it's high schoolish and silly, but I miss you." Beca couldn't keep the sheepish grin off her face.  _Chloe missed her._

The two friends talked until the wee hours of the night until they both were so sleepy that neither could keep their eyes open. They fell asleep snuggled together much like they had the first night of Spring Break at Beca's.

* * *

**_Present Day_ **

"Dude, I didn't know you were staying all night. Aren't you going to get in trouble?" Beca was scrambling to get her swim suit on for the morning while keeping her voice low enough to not be overhead by anyone passing her tent.

Chloe grinned. "I told you; I have twenty-four hours off. People will just think I spent the night in the counselor's hut. Others do that for a break away from things. Me? I wanted to see you."

"Don't get caught leaving. The way Stacie reacted – I have a feeling that would be a bad thing." Beca sat down and began pulling on her water shoes.

"Visiting you is never a bad thing."

Again, Beca grinned like a fool. Maybe telling Chloe how she feels was going to be easier than she thought. The camper got on her knees to crawl out of the tent. Chloe leaned over and kissed Beca on the cheek before the camper got the flaps open. Beca ducked her chin and looked behind her at the redhead. Chloe had fallen back on the pallet of covers and found Lil Red in Beca's bag. She was holding the red panda beanie baby next to her face. Somehow Beca had a feeling her small friend would be missing when she returned.

As Beca crawled out of her tent, she glanced around to make sure nobody was paying attention at the conversation that had been coming from the tent. She trotted over to the campfire to grab a bite to eat before the unit headed going to the waterfront. Stacie looked at her, at the tent, and back to her. She arched her eyebrows as if to inquire about what had happened in the confines of the tent the night before. Beca blushed as she broke eye contact with her counselor friend.

* * *

Once the Etowah unit had left, Chloe snuck out of the tent and headed to the counselor's hut to shower and clean up. She wasn't back on duty until later that evening, so she planned on taking Dot and Lil Red off camp to the diner for lunch for a photo shoot as well as some places around camp.

At the diner, she ordered blueberry pancakes, eggs cooked over easy, and crispy bacon. While she was hungry for it all, she figured Dot could munch on the bacon, Lil Red could eat the eggs, and all three of the would share the pancakes. As she sipped her coffee while her breakfast for lunch settled, she started looking through social media. The camp had a counselor whose responsibility was to take copious amounts of pictures then to post them to Instagram. This way parents could follow what their girls were doing while away, and campers could later download photos of their experience.

Chloe flipped through posts and found several from Pongo and Legs of Beca's beanie babies. She about snorted her coffee through her nose when she saw the ones of Beca snuggling with the three stuffed animals.  _Beca's going to kill them if she ever sees these._  Luckily for Pongo and Legs, Chloe knew the camper didn't have an Instagram account. She uploaded her stuffie pictures to Camp Barden's Instagram as well as her own making sure to use the same hashtags.

* * *

Back at camp, Chloe got back into her Ladybug mode and headed to the empty dining hall to wait for her unit to arrive so she could go back on duty. When she heard a faint strumming noise from the stage area, she went to explore. In a nook she hadn't known was there, Ladybug found Emily sitting on the floor, guitar across her lap. The tall LIT camper was looking down, concentrating on the strings and tuning pegs as she attempted to tune the guitar by ear.

"I didn't know you played."

Surprised, Emily looked up. "My uncle was teaching me." Chloe picked up on the past tense and didn't prod for more information.

"Is this yours?" She asked as she motioned to the instrument.

Emily shook her head. "No. I was back here straightening up and found a bunch of instruments. There's even a piano back here." She gently laid down the guitar and climbed to her feet to show the counselor what she had found. While there were only two guitars, a fiddle, and a piano, they were still instruments. "Hey Ladybug, did you know that Beca plays the guitar?"

"Yeah. I came this close to hearing her play," the redhead held her fingers closely together, "but she refused. I found an open mic close to her house. But no go."

"She played a little for me on my uncle's guitar. From what I heard, she's good. We should have a talent show."

Ladybug squealed and threw her arms around Emily's neck. "That's an excellent idea. But… Beca will never go for it." She released Emily from her grip and hung her head. "That doesn't mean it's not a good idea. I'll run it up the flag pole."

Emily grabbed the redhead's arm. "Wait. I have an idea to get her to play." She leaned over and whispered into the counselor's ear.

* * *

That night the Etowah campers were back in their unit enjoying their dessert of baked apples. One thing the Night Owls enjoyed most, next to being to sleep late was to get to chow down on different campfire desserts every night. Beca had her apple balanced on her stomach and was digging out the brown sugar and cinnamon along with the insides of the apple. The girls were laughing and having a blast.

Several campers' attention was caught by a flashlight swinging to and fro as someone walked down the path towards their campfire. Beca's laughter quickly turned to a groan when she saw Pitch coming towards them. She felt fortunate that the darkness hid her rolling eyes. The other campers greeted the tall, blonde counselor – most of them happily since she was one of the more popular counselors at Camp Barden.

"Good evening Etowah. Those baked apples smell delicious. Any extras?"

Pongo pulled out another prepared apple and gave it to Pitch. "Of course." After Pitch ate a few bites, Pongo asked (despite already knowing why the other counselor was there), "what brings you to visit the Night Owls?"

"I came to issue a challenge. Normally I wouldn't do this, but your friend here is darned good in archery and this is my last summer to try to beat her." Her eyes had a mischievous gleam. "Beca, I challenge you to another archery contest."

Beca smirked since she knew that her skill with a bow and arrow had outshined Pitch's several times. Her mouth was full, so she just gave a thumbs up. Once she was able to speak, she said, "I'll take that challenge. What's the game?"

"Balloons. We each shoot ten balloons. The archer who pops her balloons in the last amount of time, wins."

The camper considered this for a few moments knowing that Pitch had probably picked a game she knew she was good at. "Just once?" She raised her eyebrows. "How about two rounds? If we are tied after that, a  _neutral_  party can pick a tiebreaker."

Pitch held out her hand. "Deal." They shook. "Oh, and how about we sweeten things a bit?" The blonde kept shocking Beca. "A wager, if you will."

Beca smirked because she knew she was going to win. "What's the bet? And when's the contest?"

"Winner's choice." Pitch chuckled. "Tomorrow after dinner."

Beca burst out laughing. "Winner's choice, eh?" She grinned. " _This_  is going to be fun." Of course, she had no idea what she wanted from the counselor but knowing the gauntlet had been thrown down excited her to no end.

After Pitch left, the other campers starting clamoring for the scoop on why the other counselor had challenged Beca to an archery shoot out. The camper explained how she had beat Pitch two summers ago in archery tic-tac-toe and last year, she'd beat out all the other campers in the Kickin' It Like Katniss wars. "She's just jealous."

* * *

The tiny camper dragged out the archery equipment while her friends were at the lakefront. The unit hadn't done much archery this summer. Beca wanted to make sure she was ready for the contest later that day. She talked Legs into getting some balloons so she could practice popping them. The aim had to be right on to get the balloon to burst. That evening, she needed to be able to not worry about the balloons and concentrate on speed.

The campers went about their day as normal and showed up back at the lakefront where the contest would occur after the rest of the camp finished dinner. When that time came, Beca felt ready. Pitch's unit, Echota, came to the contest to cheer their counselor on. Emily was in Echota, so while her unit mates were all cheering for Pitch, she was cheering for Beca. Even Chloe showed up, for Beca – obviously.

Targets had been set up and several garbage bags of blown up balloons stood at the ready. A neutral counselor was responsible for affixing the balloons for the first round – ten per target while Pitch and Beca got ready. Once they were ready, the other counselor explained the rules as she held up a stopwatch. "And I am the timekeeper. As the challenger, Pitch you go first."

The blonde counselor strung her bow and took her stance. "On your mark, get set, FIRE!" Pitch fired steady stream of arrows, each one finding its target dead center against a balloon. As she popped the last one, the counselor yelled, "TIME" and looked at the stopwatch. "12.3 Not too shabby Pitch," she said as the blonde counselor went to retrieve her arrows. "Mitchell, get ready."

Beca wiped her hands on her shorts, counted her arrows to make sure her quiver was fully stocked. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Before she knew it, she was firing arrows. "TIME! 11.9. Wow! That's some fancy shooting." The camper let out a breath of relief. Round one – Beca. She relaxed a bit knowing she was well on her way to winning the wager.

For the second round, Pitch was able to shave half a second off her time for a 11.8. She gave Beca a smug luck as the camper prepared for her second round. When she missed number seven, a collective groan came from her supporters, but Beca didn't slow down. She still finished in 12.5 seconds which was amazing considering the missed balloon. She was disappointed that she couldn't wrap this contest off with that round. As much as she wanted, Beca resisted throwing her bow down in a temper tantrum.

The other counselor, the 'official' for the contest consulted with some others who weren't involved. They pulled out two pieces of cardboard, three sides each and set them up in front of the targets along with a votive candle. "This, my friends, is called  _Lights Out._ Each of you will get five shots at lit candles. For each one you extinguish, you get a point. If the score is tied after five rounds, we will add one more round until we have a winner. Are there any questions?" Neither contestant had a concern. "Beca, Pitch went first on the balloons. So now it's your turn."

The camper and counselor alternated shots. This task was much more challenging. After five rounds, they were tied at three snuffs apiece. The tension at the lakefront was so thick, a knife could cut it. So they took a break to shake their nerves from their arms. "You ready for this?" Beca looked at Pitch who grinned.

"Sudden death Mitchell. Let's go." She patted the camper's leg and stood up.

Both archers made their way back to the line. Both archers alternated, firing three more times, each time snuffing their candle. The fourth sudden death shot, Beca missed. She caught the candle but didn't snuff the flame.  _Damn it_ , she muttered under her breath. She turned her back to the targets and squeezed her eyes shut. When a roar went up from the Echota campers, Beca fell to her knees. She knew she had lost.

She climbed back to her feet and turned to face Pitch who was surrounded by her campers, all congratulating her. Beca made her way towards the counselor and waited until her campers had calmed down. When Pitch made eye contact with her, the camper offered her hand.

"Good shooting Pitch." From the corner of her eye, she saw Emily and Ladybug standing side-by-side with huge grins on their faces. Something felt fishy, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "So… what's your reward? Or my punishment?"

The counselor glanced at Emily and Ladybug and gave a wink. "I understand you play the guitar, Mitchell. Is this true?"

Beca's head whipped around and looked directly at her friends who had obviously connived with Pitch. "Yes." She then turned back to face Pitch.

"You sing?

"Heck no, I don't sing Pitch. Why?"

" _We,_ " she motioned collectively to everyone around, "are having a talent show. Emily over there found some musical instruments. If you play the guitar, then for my reward, I want you to join the talent show." She waved her hand in front of her in a flamboyant manner and bowed.

Despite her frustration at losing, Beca immediately knew her friends had a hand in making sure she got played.

* * *

After the contest, darkness was quickly settling down on the camp. Before Pitch and the Echota unit left, Pongo caught the counselor and asked if they would be interested in staying a bit longer. She explained that Etowah and the Night Owls had been working on astronomy and would love for Pitch's unit to stay for some stargazing and stories.

On a high from her win, Pitch put the decision to her campers who were all excited – for the stargazing and for staying up late. Even without blankets, they settled down on the slight slope of the waterfront so they could see the north sky.

As they practiced, Pongo started with the Big Dipper and the associated story. The Etowah girls had practiced their instructions on how to locate their own constellations and how to tell the stories they learned which brought the stars to life. There wasn't a lot of fidgeting or visiting from the younger campers as they were all enthralled by what they were learning – truth of science or myth of the zodiac.

Pitch was laying next to Legs. "This stuff is pretty cool. You taught your girls well."

"Teach the girls? Heck no, they researched all this on their own – out of books. No internet."

The look of shock on Pitch's face was clear. "No tech?"

"No tech. Have your girls check out the walls in the dining hall. We've made posters for each constellation with all this information on it."

* * *

Despite Beca's loss, Etowah was pumped as they walked back to the unit for dinner. "You were robbed Becs. Those candles were some serious business." The girls were crowded around Beca to make sure she wasn't too down about the loss. "One good thing that came from it is that you get to be in the talent show!"

"Get to be?  _Have_  to be is more like it." Beca scoffed. "I'm such a sucker."

Legs shouldered her, jostling her to the side. "Oh you love it."

When they got to the unit, the girls went to the cabin to put their stuff up before coming back to the campfire to start dinner which was Dutch Oven Lasagna. One of the other girls yelled out to the resident archer. "Beca! You have visitors."

As the camper went to the cabin, she almost expected to see Ladybug sitting on her cot. What she actually saw was a guitar laying on the bed. Toad was on the pick guard and Lil Red was laying with her chin on the bridge. A note was slipped under the strings. Beca immediately recognized Chloe's flowery handwriting.

_Hi Mama,  
_

_Miss Ladybug and Miss Emily found this on the stage in the dining hall. They said you might want to start practicing for the talent show. We are so excited to hear you play mama. Dot's going to be there, too. Yay!_

_All our love,  
_ _Toad and Lil Red_

Beca's earlier anger at being conned into playing the guitar in the talent show was long forgotten as her chest filled with warmth about the cuteness the redhead brought to her life. She opened her trunk and dug around to pull out a music journal from the bottom. She flipped through it to find some of the songs she wanted to practice. Despite the cute little visitors who brought her a guitar, she kind of wish her guest had been the redheaded two-legged kind.

She took a seat on steps of the cabin and started to tune the guitar. While she couldn't get the instrument in absolute pitch, Beca knew from her lessons that the strings would be tuned to each other. Anything she played would "sound right" as long as she played by herself and not with another guitar. Once she was satisfied, she began to strum a simple tune. And once she started playing, she got into a zone, closing her eyes and getting into her music.

After other campers got their food, they migrated to the cabin and sat on the dirt around Beca to listen to her. The tiny camper was so into her music that she didn't even notice her audience. After everyone had gotten their plates, Legs walked up and put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. She didn't want to startle her but knew she needed to eat. Beca was shocked when she saw her friends all sitting quietly enjoying the music. Rather than get embarrassed, she smiled and went to put up the guitar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beanies have been fed up with all the rain in their real life. They got little rain coats so they could finally get out of the house. Check them and their pals out on Instagram at toadnfriends


	12. Saying Goodbye

The talent show was only a few days away, so Beca took that old, beat up guitar with her everywhere. She thought more of her cabin mates would complain at the music, but she was surprised when they would gather around her to listen. Song requests would be made – sometimes pop music, several camp songs, and even a country song or two. While she still wasn't happy with Emily and Chloe scheming with Pitch to get her to participate in the talent show, she had to admit it felt good for people to be interested in her playing.

Several other units had asked Etowah to take them star-gazing which was pleasant as well. Suddenly, Beca and her cabin mates weren't just the "Night Owls" or the "snipe hunters". They were seen as a respected part of Camp Barden with a lot to add to the experience. The girls were proud that something they developed would live on after long after they left.

One night, Beca decided to take her shower early while the other girls were eating dinner. Sometimes the hot water ran out thus nobody wanted to be the last to shower. She made sure Legs saved her a hamburger, gathered her things, and went to enjoy a longer shower than usual. Because she was alone and had been getting back into music, she started humming. As she walked into the shower room, she was singing quietly. By the time the water started, her volume was increasing with each line.

 _I can't hear a word you say  
_ _I'm talking loud, not saying much  
_ _You criticize…  
_ _You shoot me down but I get up  
_ _Bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away_

Suddenly the shower curtain was ripped back. A flabbergasted Beca came face to face with Chloe who was grinning from ear to ear. "You  _can_  sing," Chloe exclaimed as Beca screamed and tried to cover herself with whatever she could reach. "You told Pitch you couldn't."

"No, I told Pitch I  _didn't_  sing." Beca was fumbling to close the shower curtain all the way. "Seriously? I'm nude!"

Ignoring Beca's protests, Chloe spouted off. "You were singing Titanium right?"

"You know David Guetta?" Beca looked up shyly at Chloe.

"What, have I been living under a rock?" Chloe continued coyly. "Sing it for me?"

"No! Get the hell out of here! I'm showering and you don't need to get caught leering at the naked campers."

"Look, I'm not leaving here until you sing so..."

Beca's frustration was starting to show. "This is ridiculous." She knew arguing with the redhead was a lesson in futility. Rolling her eyes, Beca gave in and reluctantly started singing.

_I'm bulletproof/nothing to lose/fire away, fire away…_

Chloe joined in, harmonizing perfectly.

 _Ricochet/take your aim/fire away, fire away/you shoot me down  
_ _But I won't fall/I am titanium/you shoot me down but I won't fall/I am titanium._

By this time, the women's eyes were locked as they sang together. Beca unexpectedly found herself moved at how incredible they sounded together. She then realized that she was standing close to naked exposed in the unit shower with the other campers not too far outside.

"You totes have to sing for everyone, especially Pitch." Chloe was nodding her head like the deal was already done.

"Why are you here Chlo?"

"Legs invited me for burgers. And Dot, of course. So, I guess I'll see you outside." She turned and trotted out, leaving Beca to her shower.

* * *

 

Suddenly a long relaxing shower did seem quite as comforting to Beca. She did a quick cleaning job, dried off and dressed. She pulled her still damp hair back into a bun and headed out to the campfire where she knew Chloe was waiting.

The other campers were finishing up their burgers as Pongo, Legs, and Ladybug were starting theirs. Legs pointed to where Beca's burger was being kept warm. "Oh Becas, before you fix your burger, we are having peach cobbler for dessert. Will you get it ready? It's super easy to make. Just dump in the canned peaches and then the cake mix on top of that. Pongo will help you get it in the fire and covered with coals."

Beca had dump cobbler made in record time and quickly fixed her burger. The rest of the campers were meandering around, waiting their time in the shower. Despite being interrupted by her crush, Beca was glad that she already had her shower out of the way.

"So Becs," Legs started. "Ladybug here says you can sing, too." The camper raised her eyebrows and scowled at the redheaded counselor. She gave a noncommittal grunt. "We already know you are playing the guitar; Pitch made sure of that. With this new knowledge, inquiring minds want to know what you are singing." Beca sighed, staying silent.

"Ladybug says your voice is great. I sing, you know. And Pitch. Ladybug here, too. Oh, and I believe Emily does. I mean, more than just camp songs." Legs was baiting her shorter friend. "I think the five of us could do something cool. Even though Pitch was a year ahead of us in school, Ladybug, Pitch, and myself were in the same a capella group on high school. Emily would catch on quickly. The five of us would rock Camp Barden and claim the first Camp Barden Talent Show trophy for our own."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Ladybug told me about that… making music with your mouth – no instruments. And you four would make a great quartet. Me? No." She got a cocky look on her face. "Besides, I plan on taking that trophy for myself. Now how much longer on that cobbler."

"Half an hour or so," Pongo responded. "For what it's worth Mitchell, you stand your ground."

"I'm going to clear my head down the trails. That okay?" Beca climbed to her feet and headed down the darkened path after throwing away her dinner trash.

* * *

As Beca left the unit for quieter parts of the camp, Chloe quickly caught up with her. Per her normal modus operandi, Chloe slipped her arm through Beca's elbow and snuggled in close to her side. "You  _are_  going to sing with us, aren't you?" She looked at Beca and batted her eyebrows. With the flutter the Beca felt in her stomach, she stopped and held onto Chloe's arm leaving her no choice but to stop as well. The camper looked back down the path, ensuring they were out of sight from the unit and earshot as well.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me Chlo?" She ran her hands down Chloe's arms and grasped both her hands. Beca's emotions were in total overdrive. She didn't feel she had the ability to deny Chloe anything she asked for – even if that meant getting up in front of a camp full of girls and singing. "I haven't decided about that yet, but I'll probably end up doing it merely because you asked." Chloe tilted her head sideways as she peered at Beca, confusion passing over her face. She understood what Beca was saying. What she didn't get was  _why_  Beca was saying it.

"You know – Halloween weekend?" Chloe nodded her head. "I was visiting Emily for a specific reason. Her aunt… is a lesbian."

"Oh. Ummm is she okay, Ems I mean? How upset was she to find out?"

Beca began laughing as she squeezed the counselor's hands. "Emily knew. She always knew about her aunt. I … needed advice. Advice about someone I liked. A friend. Or maybe more. I visited Em to talk to her niece."

Chloe stayed quiet but did not move away from Beca. "What did you talk about?" The counselor's voice was barely above a whisper.

"About my crush, I guess you could say. I told her about the girl's gorgeous red hair and piercing blue eyes. I believe I compared them to a bright spring sky along with her freckles like angel kisses." Chloe's eyes were filling with tears. "The girl I liked, well that I like has an infectious laugh and a personality to die for."

Beca reached up and wiped away a tear away that threatened to slip down Chloe's cheek. "What advice did she give you?" Chloe was struggling with her words.

"I was worried about losing my crush's friendship if she didn't feel the same way. Aunt Josie told me to go for it. And if my crush was as good of a friend as I said but wasn't into me then she wouldn't run. If she disappeared, then she was never really my friend anyway."

Chloe's voice quivered when she spoke next. "Then what happened?"

"I saw my crush kiss a boy, her boyfriend." Beca's voice was quivering. "A boyfriend I didn't even know she had. Some friend, eh?"

The redhead chuckled uncomfortably. "What a bitch."

Beca's one hand was still on Chloe's cheek. She brought her other up as well and held the redhead's face in her friend. "Don't talk about my crush that way." She grinned at Chloe, trying to break the tension.

"Becs, I never knew." Beca nodded at her friend. "Tom was a jerk."

"I know. You could have done so much better. But you asked me to support you, and I did. You have no idea how I felt when you told me you two had broken up. I'm not sure what I was more excited about – you being away from him or you being single." Chloe didn't say anything. The silence was making Beca uncomfortable. She went to release Chloe's hands and step backwards to give her friend some room.

Chloe frowned, tightened their grip, and pulled Beca back towards her. "I've always been drawn to you Becs."

"Since when? After I stopped being a twerp?"

"I believe that was both of us." She gave a giggle. "Last summer during the electrical storm. You didn't have to help me. You could have basically gone back to sleep. But you didn't."

"No, I couldn't leave you alone. You were terrified." Beca's soft smile was tender. "Anyway, here we are today. You aren't freaked out, are you?"

Chloe's eyes flicked down to Beca's lips then back to her eyes. "Why would I be freaked out?"

"I like you Chloe. I mean really like you." When Chloe pulled Beca even closer, their chests touching, Beca gulped in a deep breath. "God Chlo, when you are around, I feel… funny. I'm not sure how to describe it. Tickles down in my gut." Beca's mind was slowly going blank as the butterflies in her stomach began to float towards the back of her throat. As Chloe leaned towards her, a pang of nervousness struck Beca as her panic started to take over. The camper screwed her eyes shut.

She felt Chloe's soft lips press against one cheek and then the other. She hooked two fingers beneath Beca's chin and nudged it towards her, urging her to open her eyes. As Beca's dark blue eyes opened, the first thing she saw was Chloe's smile which made the camper relaxed a bit. "Becs I like you, too. And to be honest, when you are around, I feel those same tickles."

The camper gave a small smile and relaxed as she realized that she wasn't being rejected by Chloe. Quite the opposite. Beca's cheeks were still tingling from Chloe's lips. Before she could fully recover, Chloe had pressed their lips together. Beca was shocked and caught by surprise. She managed to quickly gather her wits and follow the redhead's lead. She knew her crush had kissed at least one person before. But Beca… this was her first kiss and while she wanted to pay attention so she could impress Chloe.

Chloe's lips were soft and supple, perfect. Once they broke apart after a kiss which was far too short, Chloe was smiling shyly. Frankly, Beca couldn't remember much of the kiss as her mind was spinning from the contact. She leaned in for another kiss… just because she could.

"We should be getting back Becs. You'll be missed if you aren't there for cobbler," Chloe whispered.

"I don't wanna," Beca whined.

"No but we have to." Chloe turned back towards the camp, grasped Beca's hand and began walking. They made small talk until they almost reached the edge of the unit. Beca again stopped and turned Chloe towards her. "I'm glad you like me, too, Chloe." She leaned in and gave the counselor a quick kiss before breaking off and heading to the fire circle for dessert. When she looked to see if Chloe was following her, the counselor had disappeared.

She knew Ladybug had returned to her own unit so they wouldn't raise any suspicion. But that didn't make her feel any better. Beca went through the motions of eating her peach cobbler and quickly got herself ready to go to bed. She knew the sooner she got to sleep, the sooner she could dream of her first kiss.

* * *

The talent show was held on the last night of camp. By the time it rolled around, Beca was quite comfortable playing an original song that she had brought along in her music journal. She didn't have to admit to anyone she wrote it and felt the newness of the music would give her a leg up in the competition. She also agreed to play accompaniment to a few groups of younger campers who wanted to sing in the talent show. One focused on two camp songs while another on a pop song.

In between the preparations for her own performance and helping play for the other groups, Beca had skated on the insistence that she sing with the a capella group. Chloe seemed disappointed but knew that those practices would probably stretch the camper too thin, and the talent show was supposed to be fun for everyone.

About ten acts entered the talent show. The first act was Pongo dressed as a clown. She and two other counselors rolled the old piano that had been stored on stage to the center. When she began to play, everyone groaned – realizing the piano was badly out of tune, sounding almost as bad as Pongo's singing. While a horrible talent, it was certainly as hilarious as it was meant to be.

The groups Beca helped were scattered through the line-up. Beca was closing out the talent show with her guitar, performing right after the four person a capella group. All the performances got exuberant applause which showed how much fun the audience was having. Soon nothing was left but the awards.

The camp director crawled up on stage with two index cards. "The runner up of the first annual Camp Barden talent show is… the Camp a pellas!" Emily, Legs, Ladybug, and Pitch excitedly ran up on stage to stand and wait to congratulate the winner. "And the winner is… with the sound of strumming on her golden strings – The Big BM, Beca Mitchell!" The Etowah campers went crazy and pushed Beca towards the stage where she sheepishly accepted the tiny trophy.

"Speech, speech, speech…" The entire camp was chanting.

"First," Beca cleared her throat and looked down. "First I'd like to thank the Academy…" She then laughed and ran off the stage to go back to sit with her unit.

* * *

Because it was the last night of camp, the Etowah campers ate dinner in the dining hall with the other campers so they would have time to pack when they returned to their unit that night. Granted, they would probably stay up late as usual, but there was no reason to make another campfire meal. They would, of course, make s'mores once everyone was packed and ready to leave the next day.

Beca emptied the contents of her trunk on the cabin floor and began to meticulously repack everything so it would fit. She sat her trophy on her wooden shelf unit and propped Lil Red and Toad against it. They were styling as if they had won the talent contest themselves. After she got done being silly, she made short work of packing everything she had except what she needed for the next day. Then Beca headed out to the fire circle to stuff her face full of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.

Her friends all laughed and visited about what all they had done and learned this summer. Despite all the astronomy they had learned, they agreed, hands down, that the best part of the session was taking all the other kids on snipe hunts.

Legs plopped down next to Beca where she sat on the log. "This is my last summer Legs."

"I know. It won't be the same without you here Becs. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." Beca leaned into her taller friend. "I'll miss Ladybug, too." Legs gave a small amused snort. "What?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed the way you two have been looking at each other all session." Beca blushed. "I'm just glad  _she_  didn't do anything stupid that would have gotten herself in trouble or fired." Beca still didn't speak and wouldn't look at her friend. "Becs… what are you not telling me?" Beca looked at the counselor and grinned. "UGH! I told you Chloe is going to be the death of me. Well it's your last night. Whatever you do, just don't get caught."

"Sure thing Legs." Beca climbed to her feet. "Night." She then trotted to her cabin.

* * *

Beca crawled into her cot then turned over on her side. She shoved one hand under her pillow to prop up her head. When she did, she heard a crinkle of paper and felt a small lump. Beca reached over, grabbed her small flashlight from her shelf, pulled the covers over her head and flipped on the light. Dot was hiding under her pillow along with a note.

 _Hey Becs,  
_ _Dot missed you, and frankly I do, too. You go home tomorrow, and I will be here another three weeks. I'm going to miss you like hell and won't even get a chance to tell you goodbye properly tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you tonight at 11:00 down the trail at "our spot". I hope you come.  
_ _XOXO,  
_ _C_

Beca could only assume that "their spot" was where they had kissed. She struggled with whether she should meet Chloe. She thought about what Stacie had said – about Chloe not being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to – and the consequences of getting in trouble or getting fired. Then… she thought about Chloe's lips, the kiss. Eventually the kiss won out. Beca quietly got up and got dressed. She shoved Dot in her shorts pockets and headed to meet Chloe.

* * *

Beca sneaked as quietly as she could out of the unit and down the trail. When she was sure she was out of sight of the unit, she flipped on her small flashlight and walked towards where she was sure she would find Chloe. Sure enough, Chloe was waiting for her, sitting on the ground about where they had stood before. Beca sat down next to her, bending her knees and drawing them towards her chest.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself. I wasn't sure if you'd come." Despite the darkness of the night, Chloe could clearly see Beca rolling her eyes.

"Of course I'm here. I'm going to miss you Chlo." Beca reached over and laced her fingers with the counselor's. "Thanks for not running when I told you I liked you."

The redhead giggled. "That would make me a hypocrite, now wouldn't it? Thanks for supporting me through all the drama with  _him._ " She leaned over and put her head on Beca's shoulder. Beca scooted as close as she could get. "I wish you weren't going home tomorrow."

"Me, too. Emily is going to come home with me and stay for a few days. Her mom and dad are still on vacation. Maybe we'll go to that open mic."

Chloe swatted her shoulder. "Color me jealous! Well if you do, get Ems to video it. Please?" Beca agreed. The counselor sat up and turned around, awkwardly wrapping her legs around Beca's waist. She wriggled around to make herself comfortable and used her heels to pull herself close into the camper.

"Well hello there." Beca reached around Chloe and interlocked her fingers behind her back. "Your eyes are beautiful." The camper was plucking her words out of the air. She was nervous but not as edgy as she had been before. She moved her face slowly toward Chloe's, closing the already small gap. When she was only about an inch away, she paused to gauge the redhead's reaction.

The counselor closed her eyes and closed the gap between their lips until they touched. The intensity of this kiss far surpassed the first time for the camper, and she again did her best to follow the redhead's lead. When she felt Chloe's tongue lightly flick against her lips, her lips naturally opened to allow entrance. Chloe broke the kiss to look at Beca for reassurance. The tiny brunette gently grasped the back of Chloe's head and pulled her mouth back to hers, inadvertently moaning as they connected.

"Chloe," she murmured into the redhead's mouth as she broke the kiss. Both girls were panting slightly, both from the kiss and the adrenaline running through their veins.

"Mmm Beca."

"Chlo? What are we doing?"

The redhead looked at her questioningly. "Kissing, I thought."

"I know that, silly. But where is this going? After I leave tomorrow?"

Chloe crawled off Beca's lap and pulled her to her feet. "I don't know Becs." She grasped the camper's hands and swung them back and forth slightly.

"I mean, next year you'll be a senior. Then after that, you're going to college. Me? I don't even have a car to come see you. If you want to see me, that is." Beca caught herself rambling, took and deep breath and forced herself to be quiet.

"You know I want to see you Becs. You are important to me."

The brunette sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "You are important to me, too. But… I … God this is hard." Beca looked upwards as she searched for her words. "I don't think I can handle things if you start seeing someone. Being  _just_ your friend would be too hard." She looked into Chloe's eyes. "I  _really_  like you Chlo."

"Becs, I  _really_  like you, too. I don't want to see anyone else. I want to be with you. We'll work everything out as it comes along."


	13. Apache Cafe

The next morning, all the campers and counselors said their goodbyes. Beca felt weird saying farewell to a different set of people than Emily. But they had been in different units this time. The past two summers they had gone everywhere together and had all the same friends. The tiny camper watched her much different friend – bolder and more confident – say her goodbyes. The leadership classes this summer allowed Emily to begin to grow into the person Beca knew she could be.

Beca had her hands shoved in her pockets and was looking around at all the happiness surrounding her, even if happiness came in the form of tears of campers who would miss the counselors who had become their mentors and heroes. She stumbled sideways a bit as she was caught off guard by a gentle hip check. The petite redhead counselor was standing next to her smiling with all the warmth of a million rays of sunshine. Her stomach started doing flips as her mouth went dry. She wasn't expecting to see Chloe.

"I couldn't resist coming over to say goodbye one final time."

Beca blushed and scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt. "Last night wasn't enough for you?" She was rewarded with a gentle swat on the arm.

Chloe pulled her into a hug – long enough to be comforting but not too long to raise suspicion of the relationship being anything other than camper and counselor. Beca pulled out her phone which she had gotten from her mom. She took a selfie of herself and Chloe.

"Oh, wait, one more!" Chloe perked up as she pulled Dot out of her pocket. She pressed the ladybug between their faces and prompted Beca to take another picture. "Send those to me, please? And get Emily to help set you up with an Instagram!"

Eventually Beca was able to wrangle Emily away from her goodbyes and into the passenger seat of her mom's car. She held out her hand to her mother. "I'll drive Mom. I've missed being behind the wheel, and you have to go back to work."

* * *

When they were a few blocks from her house, Beca stopped at her favorite burger joint to load up on burgers, fries, and onion rings. She also got Emily a chocolate shake and a vanilla one for herself. Once they had unloaded the car and Beca's mom had returned to work, the girls tore open the bags and spread their food out on the floor.

"This is amazing. Who would have thought onion rings would taste so good?" Beca mumbled through a mouth of food. The girls were both shoveling the fast food so quickly that their conversation was minimal. Eventually their appetites were satiated and fell against the couch to finish off their shakes.

"How was your summer Ems? I can't believe we didn't see each other very much at all."

The younger girl perked right up and started sharing with Beca about her leadership classes, what all she learned, and how excited she was for the next summer already. "I missed you Beca. I was so busy, I barely had time to be sad about it. Yeah, I wish we had gotten to spend more time, but there was the snipe hunt, thanks for making me seem like a fool. And I got to see you battle Pitch in archery again."

"And lose." Beca laughed. "But that was your plan all along wasn't it? Yours and Chloe's to get me to be in the talent show."

"And you kicked butt in the show! Speaking of Chloe," Emily's voice got sing-songy. "let's talk about her." When Beca blushed and ducked her head down, Emily raised her eyebrows. "Oh do tell Becs. I want the scoop. All of it."

The shorter girl grinned, got up and went to get sodas to replace the shakes that were long gone. "Get settled. It's going to be a long story." Beca told Emily how she had surprised Chloe in her unit on the first afternoon. "She was so surprised since I had told her I wasn't going to camp this year. Well she came to my unit that night and told me that Tom dumped her right before camp."

Emily gasped. "How was I there three weeks and not know this?"

Beca told her she thought Chloe wanted to heal on her own, in her own way. She went on to tell her friend about the various late-night talks. When Beca became a little less forthcoming with details, Emily became suspicious. "Why do I get the feeling you aren't telling me the whole story?"

The shorter girl's mind drifted back to the two nights she and Chloe took a walk. She stretched out her legs as thoughts of the redhead floated in and out. Her stomach began to flip similar to when Chloe kissed her. She realized she must have been in a trance for quite a while when Emily kicked her foot.

"Earth to Beca!"

Beca grinned sheepishly. "We ummm kissed Ems."

"What?!" Emily was wriggling on her butt with excitement. "Did you kiss her first or did she kiss you? Deets Bec!"

"Both, I guess." Beca shrugged. She went on to explain how tingly her body felt during the kisses. Emily was living vicariously through her friend since she had never really kissed someone before. "She told me she doesn't want to date anyone when she goes home to school."

Emily squealed and clapped her hands, happy for Beca. After all the pain of last Halloween, life seemed to be looking up for her friend.

* * *

The friends spent the next few days pouring over Beca's music. Sometimes they played her mash-ups while other times Emily made her play original songs. Since Emily was somewhat of a musical genius in her own right, she could read music well and hand-picked sheet music from Beca's collection of journals.

"Becs, you have more than just the guitar chords, right?" Emily was flipping through a handful of her friend's journals when she noticed a numbering system. "Gotcha!" The tall, lanky brunette leapt up and ran to her friend's desk and began rummaging through the USB's in the drawer.

The tiny brunette was trying to quickly get to her feet but got tangled in her guitar strap. "Ems, NO! Stay out of there." She was laughing because she knew she'd been busted.

Emily had two of the music journals and two USB drives. She compared the numbers printed on the journal covers to the ones on the drive themselves. She waved a drive in the air. "I'm willing to bet on this drive you are not only playing the guitar but also singing." Beca's deep blush let Emily know she was right. She plugged in one of the drives and located the song she wanted to hear.

Once it was done, Emily was beaming at her friend. "This one Becs. This is the one you need to play Thursday at open mic." Beca argued that she was had planned on playing a cover but did not win against Emily's insistence of which song she'd play. She finally relented and began to tweak and practice the song Emily wanted.

Beca didn't tell Emily that she had written this song right after this past Spring Break when Chloe had made a surprise visit. While still somewhat perky and chipper, the redhead had lost so much of her personality because of the jerk she was dating. But Beca was willing to bed that Emily had figured out why she had written the song which was why she was pressing so hard for her to sing it at open mic.

* * *

"Mom, I want a car. No, I need a car. It's my junior year of high school." Beca took advantage of Emily being there to act as a buffer between herself and her mom. She knew this tactic might possibly backfire, but she decided to go for it anyway. "I'll even get a job to pay for everything myself."

"A car is expensive Beca – insurance, registration, fuel, and then there's the vehicle itself. I want you to enjoy your high school experience. You'll have all the time in the world to work. If you want a job for extra money, we can talk about that. But I won't let you work simply to pay for a car." When she heard her mom's explanation, Beca knew her mom was right. But she continued to act grumpy because she didn't get her way.

"Your grandparents want you and Emily to come to dinner tomorrow." Beca's mom explained she had to work but would drop the pair off. She ignored Beca rolling her eyes because she knew her daughter loved her grandparents and was only acting like a teenager.

Since she had been at camp, Beca hadn't spent much time with her mom's parents. While she acted like she was put out, she loved spending time with them. Beca and Emily went into the kitchen to help her grandmother with dinner. Her grandmother assured them she had it all under control and sent them out to visit with her husband.

Conversation around the table was easy, and Emily felt welcome to join right in. "This is delicious." Emily took another bite of her food.

"So Beca, your mom says you asked her for a car." The granddaughter's eyes opened wide. She wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed or simply listen. He looked at her like he was waiting for a response.

"Ummm yeah, but I wanted to get a job. Pay for everything myself. She said no – that I'd have the rest of my life to work. We talked about things, and I see her point. Was worth a shot." She gave her grandparents a sheepish grin.

"Your grandma and I are getting up in our years. We only drive one of our cars and were thinking about getting rid of the other."

Beca immediately perked up. "How about I buy it from you Gramps?" She knew which car he was speaking about. "I love that car. If I can get mom to let me get a job, I can make payments, the works." She was now wriggling in her chair with excitement.

"Beca, we've already talked to your mom. She doesn't want you working just to pay for a vehicle. And I agree. High school is your time for having fun." The joy on Beca's face fell to a sullen frown. Her grandmother's voice was kind and gentle. "So we are going to let you 'borrow' the car. We'll put you on our insurance and cover the registration. All you need to do is pay for fuel and regular maintenance."

"Really? Are you serious? Really?" Beca couldn't believe her ears. When both her grandparents nodded, she got up and gave each of them a tremendous hug. "Wow! Thanks. I can't believe this. Anything you need Gramps, Grams. Mow the yard. Change light bulbs. I'm your gal. This is amazing."

Once dinner was finished, Emily and Beca insisted on clearing the table and washing dishes. Beca was so pumped about the car she would have cleaned her grandparents' entire house if her grandmother had let her. Once they were done, Beca's grandfather handed Beca the keys to her 'new car' along with her insurance and registration papers. She felt obligated to stay and visit but she and Emily were summarily dismissed to 'take the car for a spin'.

The two girls drove around a bit while Emily teased Beca for how carefully she was driving. "I'm not going to mess this up Ems. This is  _my_  car. Now I have to figure a way to earn money to pay for gas and oil changes." They through around some creative ideas then headed back to Beca's house.

* * *

The next evening was the open mic at Apache Café, a coffee shop with a small menu of sandwiches and sharable appetizers. After paying their cover charge and getting Beca's name on the list, the girls snagged a table up front. "You guys really have s'mores here?" Beca's voice was incredulous.

The server explained how the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate came out with an actual flame source to roast the marshmallows over. "Lots of guys order it trying to set up a little intimate date environment." Beca rolled her eyes as she and Emily ordered drinks and some non-s'more apps.

While they waited for their food, the girls looked around the shop. The décor was an eclectic collection old music memorabilia, posters, and t-shirts. "Pretty cool," Emily commented. "This stuff is way before my time, but I dig it."

Not much later after their food arrived, a man in his late teens or early 20's jumped up on the short stage and adjusted the mic. "Hi out there!" Everyone greeted him. He had a guitar slung over his shoulder onto his back and a shock of blonde hair which kept falling into his face. "I'm Felix and the host for open mic tonight." He explained how the evening would go before launching into a song of his own.

About halfway through the performance, Beca leaned over to Emily and whispered. "Damn Ems, he's good. I'm out of my league here." Her nerves were clearly showing through her voice.

"Have faith Becs. Your music is solid. Besides, everyone here is an amateur just like yourself."

Felix finished his song and called the next performer up. Many of them had played before while several were new like Beca. The audience was supportive of everyone who got up on the stage despite seeming to fade off during some of the less lackluster performances. "Next welcome to the stage another newcomer. Beca Mitchell who will be singing an original song –  _Happier_."

Beca took one last glance at Emily who shoo'd her towards the stage. She settled herself on the stool, one foot propped up on a lower rung. She then rearranged herself as she pulled the mic into position. "Sorry guys, I'm a little short for this." The crowd laughed. This gave her time to settle into herself and knock down her nerves. Beca pulled her guitar into position and began to play.

_Lately, I've been, I've been thinking  
I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier_

_When the morning comes_  
_When I see what you've become_  
 _A shadow of your happy self under that kid boy's thumb_  
 _I miss the fire of your smile_  
 _You've lost the spark you'd begun_

_Every truth I haven't said because I know I can't take back_   
_'Cause with the all that has happened_   
_I think that we both know the way that the story ends_   
_Then only for a minute_   
_I want to change my mind_   
_'Cause this just don't feel right to me_

_I want to raise your spirits_   
_I want to see you smile but_   
_When the evening falls_   
_And I'm left there with my thoughts_   
_And the image of you being with someone else_   
_Well, that's eating me up inside_

Beca kept her head down watching her guitar strings the entire time. As she was done and managed to lift her eyes to the audience, she was surprised to see that she had absolutely everyone's attention. When they were sure she was finished, the crowd began to clap much more vigorously than they had for the other performers. She glanced down at Emily who was on her feet, clapping just as hard.

Felix came back on stage and put his arm around her shoulders. "That was one amazing performance Beca Mitchell. I hope you'll come back." She grinned and ran back down to sit with Emily.

"That was amazing Becs. Chloe's going to love it." Emily waved her phone in the air. "I'm going to send it to her when we get back to your house. You know, bandwidth and all."

Beca's face blanched. She had forgotten they had promised to record her first ever open mic performance for Chloe. "Ummm Ems, do you think she'll listen to the words? Understand them?"

"I sure hope so. I certainly did."

* * *

Not everyone stayed the for the entire open mic, but Beca and Emily were enjoying themselves and the music. They stayed right up until the end when Felix closed with another song. Before they could leave, a woman stopped by their table and asked if she could sit.

"I'm Lisa, the owner of Apache Café." Beca was confused why the owner had come to their table. "That was a hell of a song. You have quite a voice on you young lady. Felix said it was an original?" Beca nodded. "Do you have more? Or was this a one-off you got lucky with?" Beca looked at the table, still silent.

"She has more," Emily piped up. "This is her first time playing one for anybody, but I've seen the music and listened to them at her house." Emily knew Beca was probably kill her later, but it was obvious Beca was in shock or just shy.

Lisa looked at Emily. "And you are…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Emily Junk." She offered her hand. "I'm Beca's friend. I love music, too. And the stuff she has at home is just as good."

Lisa raised her eyebrows and focused her attention back to Beca. "Are you coming back next week?"

Beca finally overcame her shyness, looked up at the owner, and grinned. "Yeah, I want to."

"Good, I want you to as well. Next week, sign up for two slots. I'll let Felix know." When she saw the shocked look on the singer's face, she patted her hand. "Trust me."

* * *

Later that night Emily sent the video to Chloe. "Oh yeah Becs, we need to make you an Instagram. Chloe made me promise to set you up. We can also start you a YouTube channel for your music."

The shorter girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm just not into social media that much."

Emily ignored her. "This is under Chloe's orders. First you need a name."

"I have a name. It's Beca."

"God you such an imbecile. No like a handle – a camp name even. How about the Big BM?"

Beca quickly nixed that saying it sounded like she was spending too much time in the toilet. "How about BMitchBeats?"

"I like it." Emily guided Beca towards the Instagram app and how to create a new account. She then took the phone and followed a lot of other users.

"What are you doing?" Beca was looking over her shoulder. Emily explained that by following others, she could see their posts as they come in.

"Camp Barden's account is private, but I'll let Chloe know so she can get you approved."

"What does private mean, and why is the camp's private?" Emily explained that camper pictures were uploaded there daily so their parents could follow their activities while their girls were away, and the campers could get pictures later. "Gotcha. Since they are minors, having a bunch of pervs looking at the pictures wouldn't be a good idea."

Emily explained about hashtags and used the one for the beanie babies for example. She pulled out her own phone to show Beca. The shorter girl was surprised at all the pictures that came up under #beaniesatcamp – pictures of Toad, Lil Red, and Dot that she had no idea had ever been taken. She made a note to upload her own pictures of them soon. She scrolled down to the very first picture of that hashtag. When she clicked on the series of pictures and realized they were photos Legs had taken of her cuddling with the stuffies on her first night, she didn't know whether to laugh or to throw her phone.

"I'm going to kill her. I don't know when or how, but I'm going to kill her." Both the girls laughed.

Then using the same moniker, Emily created a YouTube channel and uploaded the video of Beca singing at open mic.

About the time when the upload was complete, a text came through from Chloe.

[Chloe: Oh my gawd Beca. That was amazing.]  
[Chloe: Are you going to be free in about twenty minutes?]  
[Beca: Thanks and yes.]  
[Beca: Ems is still here. I take her home tomorrow.]  
[Chloe: Great, talk to you then]

"I take it by the grin on your face that was Chloe, and she liked your performance."

Beca nodded. Now she was nervous. She hadn't talked to Chloe since they left camp and missed her. But Emily was there, and it seemed rude to ask her to leave the bedroom so she could talk to her girlfriend. Girlfriend? She'd never dated anyone before. Was Chloe her girlfriend? She knew they had talked about not wanting to see anyone else, but were they really together? What did it all mean? Beca's mind was racing around, and she was utterly confused at what to do.

"She calling?" Beca nodded. "I guess I'd better make myself scarce then."

"Ems… no! You are my guest here. You don't have to leave."

"Beca? Do you  _really_  think I want to listen to you two talk?" She chuckled. "Besides, I think there's some ice cream left, and I'm craving a huge bowl of it."

When Beca's FaceTime rang, Emily got off the carpet, waved, and headed downstairs. Beca answered. "Hi." She waved at the redhead on the other end of the camera.

"Hi yourself." Chloe waved back

Suddenly Beca got nervous as she remembered that Chloe had gotten the video of her performance. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready to talk about the intimacy of the feelings behind the song. Fortunately, Chloe simply went on and on about how good everything was – the song, the music, and Beca's voice.

"Stacie and Aubrey both watched it with me. I hope that's okay."

Beca grinned. "Of course, that's okay. Hell, Emily made me create an Instagram  _and_  a YouTube channel. If anyone else wants to watch it, just give them my name. Oh and speaking of Instagram, pass a message to Stacie for me. She'd better be watching her back."

"So you saw the cuddles picture? Who know you were so sweet and lovey?" Chloe loved teasing Beca even though she knew quite well how cuddly Beca was.

They talked for a while before Chloe gave a ten-minute warning that she'd have to leave to get back to her unit before her break time was up. "I miss you Becs. I hope you know that. And… you do… make me happier."

Beca grinned knowing that the redhead did in fact understand her song. "I miss you, too, Chlo. And I'm glad. You deserve it."

* * *

Emily's mom finally got home from her vacation and called to arrange a time to come pick her up. "Mom, Beca has a car now. I'm sure she wouldn't mind bringing me." Once her mom made sure Emily would offer to pay for gas, they agreed that Emily would come home on Saturday.

"Ms. Mitchell, my mom called today. She wanted to come get me. I thought maybe Beca could take me home. My mom would pay for gas, of course, but the road trip would be fun."

"Yeah Mom! I made the drive myself Halloween weekend. Please? Can I take her home? I'll be super careful." Beca was careful to plead just enough, knowing how much would irritate her mother and make her ax the plans. Eventually her mom relented but only if Beca would spend the night so she wouldn't be driving back tired. "Thanks Mom. You're the best."

The girls spent the rest of their time working on Beca's songs, picking out ones that would fit well with the open mic and ones that Beca felt she could polish enough to have ready. She called herself a perfectionist when it came to her music, but Emily convinced her that the open mic sessions would help her improve her craft. She encouraged Beca to figure out a way to record all her performances so she could analyze areas of improvement.

On Saturday morning, they were both ready to go and took off to make the drive to Emily's. They stopped at random places along the drive, some actual points of interest, some historical markers, some just places to pose Lil Red and Toad in funny positions. Beca texted one picture to Chloe from the beanies with them telling Dot they missed her.

When they finally got to Emily's house, she ran upstairs and threw herself on her bed. "Ooooh heaven. Sorry Beca. Your bed is comfortable and all but just like Dorothy says, 'there's no place like home'."

"Dot said that? I can't believe you listen to a ladybug," the shorter brunette teased. "Come on, let's go get your stuff. And you flew right past your mom. You might want to go say hi since it's been over a month since you've seen her."

* * *

After a homecooked meal at the Junk's, Emily and Beca went to bed early so Beca would be well-rested for her drive the next day. She promised Emily she'd keep practicing her songs and would do her best to video both songs at the open mic. And Emily vowed she'd practice on the guitar lessons Beca had given her while she had been visiting. Playing her uncle's guitar would be great therapy in adjusting to his loss.

The two friends FaceTimed during the next week so Beca could try out other songs she was looking to play during the open mic. Two new songs would have been asking a lot of the sixteen-year-old, so she decided to play the one she'd played the week before and one new one. She liked the reaction she'd gotten from the crowd on her original song and had another she wanted to try out. She just hoped Lisa didn't always expect original songs. Then again, most of the other musicians were playing covers, so she felt safe.

Thursday rolled around, and Beca showed up at Apache Café. When she signed up for two slots, Felix gave her a sly thumbs up and told her he was looking forward to hearing her play. "I'm putting you on the ends – first after I open and again before I close. That okay?" Beca nodded and went to claim the same table she and Emily had sat at before and made her order with the server.

The brunette singer's nerves were starting in again and she was staring into her coffee trying to convince herself she could get through the night. A loud scraping noise indicated the other chair at the table was being pulled out as someone took a seat. "Is this chair taken?"

Her head snapped up. Chloe. It was Chloe. She blinked her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The redhead gently pulled Beca's face towards her and pressed their lips together. A shock zipped through Beca's body as she leaned into Chloe, kissing her more deeply before the pair broke it off. "You're really here! How?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happier by Marshmello ft Bastille. The lyrics were altered slightly for Chloe's situation with Tom.


	14. Girlfriend? Yeah, Girlfriend!

"What do you mean 'how'?" Chloe leaned back and smiled at the brunette. "I switched my time off around so I could have tonight off. I don't have to leave until four tomorrow afternoon."

"What?" Beca grinned. "That's incredible Chlo. I'm so excited." She leaned over to give Chloe another kiss. "Thanks." As her food arrived, Chloe ordered something to drink and looked at the food menu herself. After snagging a few of Beca's fried pickles, she added some stuffed mushroom caps to the order.

Soon Felix came to the stage and went through the same speech as he did the week before he began singing his opening song. Chloe was impressed by the host's musical ability. Once he finished, he introduced Beca. "Those of you here last week this musician. She's going to sing her original song  _Happier_ again. Put your hands together for Beca Mitchell."

The tiny singer settled on the stool much more quickly and was much more comfortable as she began to sing her song. She was able to make more eye contact with the audience. As she looked over to Chloe, she saw the redhead beaming at her as she videoed the performance. Emily had been right when she told Beca that coming to the open mic could only improve her craft. This was only her second time singing, and she already knew of things she could change to get better.

When she finished singing and made her way back to the table, she was greeted with Chloe smothering her in a huge hug. "That was amazing Becs. I believe this performance was better than last week's. I'm proud of you." The pair did their best to not interrupt the other singers as they visited during the rest of the evening. Beca had almost forgotten she had a second performance until Felix called her up.

She settled on the stool and adjusted the mic to the proper height. "Hey guys; it's me again. I decided to change things up for my second song tonight. I haven't quite perfected the lyrics on this, so I thought I'd just give you the sound." She began to strum her guitar strings as she closed her eyes to immerse herself into her music more immensely. As she sang, she began to add vocal inflections which emoted the words that she'd written but wasn't quite ready to share. Watching her was easy to see the passion behind her voice and the music that was coming from the strings of the guitar.

As she finished, she was surprised to again get an overwhelming audience reaction. As soon as she made her way back to the table, Beca was met with a squeal and another hug from Chloe. "A little overzealous, aren't you?" However secretly, the redhead's excitement made her feel warm inside, accepted.

Once Felix closed out the open mic, Lisa again came up to Beca before she and Chloe could leave, Lisa approached the table like she did the week before. "Hi Beca." Despite wondering what Lisa wanted this time, Beca introduced her to Chloe and just waited to see what the owner wanted. "Last week, Emily said you had several original songs in various stages of completion."

Beca explained that she did, but none were at a stage she felt comfortable sharing which was why she chose the instrumental version of one that night. "There's still plenty of time left this summer for me to work on them though. Especially now that I have a place to share them."

"I'm in a dilemma Beca. Felix is moving to Los Angeles, and I am going to be left without a host for open mic. Even though it's only once a week, Thursday's are important for my business. Would you be interested in coming aboard as host? The job is as uncomplicated as what you've seen: signing up people when they come in, introducing acts, as well as singing an opening and closing song." Beca looked at Chloe who shrugged her shoulders.

"It's a paid position, of course. Half of the door to start. The more people we draw, then the more money you make. Oh and since you have to come in early, your drinks and dinner would be on the house. Think about it Beca. Next Thursday is Felix's last night."

* * *

"Mom! I'm home." Beca called out to her mother when they arrived. She wandered around until she found her mom in the kitchen. "Chloe surprised me from camp. She's going to spend the night, if that's okay."

"Hi Ms. Mitchell." The redhead gave a shy wave.

Beca grabbed a few bottles of water before they went upstairs to her room. As soon as the door to her bedroom was closed, Beca found her back against the door with Chloe's hands buried in her hair. The kiss was soft at first before the intensity increased to the searing level, deep and sensual, unlike one they had ever shared before. The heat of Chloe's passion almost made Beca dizzy as she swayed, glad to have the door holding her up.

Beca fumbled behind herself to lock her bedroom door then moved both hands to hold Chloe's face. While she had relived her first kisses with the redhead and thought about them over and over, this kiss was evoking sensations she had never imagined she'd be capable of feeling.

When the kiss finally broke, both girls were panting heavily, pupils blown. Chloe had a sneaky grin on her face. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to kiss you like that Becs?" Beca placed her hands on Chloe's shoulders and gently walked her to the bed.

"I still can't believe you are here Chloe, even if only for one night." Both girls kicked off their shoes and laid down next to each other. Beca pushed herself up on one elbow and began to run her fingers over Chloe's face and neck. "I've missed you." The redhead's eyes drifted shut as Beca's soft hands drifted across her skin as she gave a quiet moan of enjoyment at the affection the brunette was giving her.

After enjoying each other's company for a bit, the pair agreed to go ahead and get ready for bed so they could visit in bed and be comfortable without having to get up later. Chloe took her turn in the bathroom first to wash her face and brush her teeth. When Beca left, Chloe changed into her pajamas and sat cross-legged on the bed, waiting for Beca to come back. As the brunette came back, she burst out laughing. "Oh my gawd Chlo. Are those the same baby yellow duck pajamas you had my second year of camp? When we hated each other?"

"Yup." She pointed to her bag. "My hedgehog slippers are in my bag."

"I have to admit. Even though I couldn't stand you, I thought they were adorable. That you  _were_  adorable." Beca kneeled on the bed and crawled over to the redhead.

Chloe scooted over to Beca and gave her a chaste kiss. "Even back then, I knew you liked me."

Beca chuckled and rolled her eyes. She tackled Chloe and pressed their lips together. Beca felt as though she could get lost forever in Chloe, the kisses like explosions of the best flavors in the universe all mixed together to make the best taste and sensation she had ever felt before. They naturally fell to the mattress next to each other as their mouths explored each other's, tongues probing.

"God Chlo, this feels incredible. This is millions of times better than kissing standing up in the middle of the woods at Camp Barden." The only response she got from Chloe was a moan of agreement, that and an increased fervor of the kiss. Beca felt like she wasn't even in her own body anymore but was in another universe. Floating. She knew the longer she and Chloe kissed, the further she would get lost in the redhead. Only through a kiss.

Chloe broke the kiss and fell back on the bed. "I think we need to slow down Becs. We have all the time in the world to get to know each other."

'I do know you Chloe." Beca took a deep breath as she left her hand drift to Chloe's breast. The redhead took an unexpected gasp before melting into the brunette's touch. Beca was amazed at how soft and supple the tissue felt as she applied gentle pressure, relishing in the reaction she was getting from Chloe.

As the pair continued their 'getting to know each other', things became quite heated. Beca was nervous because she wasn't sure what she was doing was right, but judging from Chloe's reactions, her actions weren't wrong. Chloe stopped her again. "Becs…" The brunette looked at her. "We don't have to do this."

Beca launched into another kiss, increasing the intensity along with the heat. She didn't want to disappoint Chloe. But the redhead again stopped their make-out session. "Becs, we need to slow down."

The brunette flopped over to her back, confused and uneasy that she had been doing something wrong – despite the rush of feelings flowing through her body. She realized that the redhead could be putting the brakes on things because of her own inexperience. "We don't have to wait on me Chloe. I want this. I want you."

"Are you saying this doesn't scare you?" The look on Chloe's face was serious. "Being with me?"

"Of course, it scares me. I've never been with anyone before. But I trust you. Plus, you have experience."

Chloe sighed as she sat up on an elbow to see Beca better. "No Bec. No I don't have experience. I'm a virgin." Beca's reaction told Chloe all she needed to know – this bit of information was news to the brunette.

"That's one thing Tom didn't force me to do. I guess that's another reason I thought he was so great. He acted like things were okay when I didn't want to go past a certain point. But when he dumped me, it was the biggest thing he complained about - me not putting out."

"I didn't know Chloe. I … just… I guess I didn't want to disappoint you."

Chloe put her hand on Beca's cheek. "You could never disappoint me Becs. You make me feel things I've never felt before. Lord knows I want to be with you. But more importantly, I think we should take our time. Is that okay?"

Beca was relieved and agreed that she was okay with slowing down. "We can still make out though, yeah?"

"Definitely. But for now, I probably need to get some sleep." Chloe curled into Beca and snuggled into her, feeling her warmth. Soon the pair had fallen fast asleep.

During the night, Chloe had rolled over onto Beca, her cheek pressed against the smaller girl's breast, an arm wrapped around her waist, and a leg thrown over her thighs. The warmth of her body was perfect, considering the sheets and duvet had magically disappeared. She could feel Chloe's hot breath through the thin material of her shirt. Chloe was out cold. But this time, Beca wasn't so uncomfortable.

* * *

The next morning, both girls laid around in bed, enjoying each other and the peace of spending time together, something they had never been able to do before. When Chloe's stomach started growling, they decided they needed to make a move to find some food. They were all smiles as they got dressed to go out to grab coffee and brunch.

They went to Beca's favorite café that made the most perfect waffles. "Trust me. All you need to do is pick your toppings. These waffles will melt in your mouth." As they waited for their food, Chloe connected to the café's wi-fi and sent Beca the video's she'd taken the night before so Beca could upload them to YouTube. "Make sure you video all your songs. Please? I can't surprise you  _every_  Thursday."

Beca made a pouty face which quickly cleared up as their waffles were placed in front of them. Chloe had chosen fresh strawberries with wild berry compote. Beca's was chocolate-fudge sauce. The waitress brought a huge bowl of fresh whipped cream and two extra plates. Beca split each of their waffles, putting half on the extra plates, so they could share. Chloe laughed as Beca had the largest glass of milk she'd ever seen.

"What?" Beca exclaimed. "You have to have milk with waffles." She rolled her eyes in jest as Chloe continued to tease her.

Once the girls had polished off their waffles, Beca took Chloe back to her house. They spent the rest of their time together going through Beca's music. When the redhead had visited before, they had listened to Beca's mixes where she'd created mash-ups of other people's music. This time they spent time going through Beca's journals and USB drives that had Beca's guitar music as well as her singing on the songs which had lyrics.

As they listened, Chloe was making notes. "These are the ones I think you should concentrate on first. I like what you did last night – a new song with one you've played before. I bet you could get a variety of your songs ready and blend combinations of songs each week."

Far too soon, Chloe declared she needed to get ready to head back to Camp Barden. Despite their heated make-out session the night before, their goodbye kisses were subdued. Beca felt an overwhelming sadness, more so then when she said goodbye at Camp Barden.

"It's okay Becs. Camp will be over in two weeks. Then we have a little bit of time before school starts."

"Promise you'll miss me?"

"Always." Chloe shut the trunk to her car, climbed in, and pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

Beca worked all week on the songs that were on the top of Chloe's list. She hadn't realized how many partially written songs she had until she started sorting through her music. The tiny musician also hadn't comprehended how much her songs were a part of her life. Had you asked her before the first open mic, she would have said making mash-up were the bread and butter of her musical existence.

She and Emily Facetimed on a regular basis so the younger girl could chime in on changes or ideas Beca had. She and Chloe spent all the counselor's off time during the evening talking as well. The closer the next open mic came, the more confident Beca became. If Lisa had enough faith to ask her to host, Beca knew she had to have faith in herself.

One evening, Beca was practicing when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she called. She was surprised to see her mom standing in her doorway. Of course, nobody else could be there since they lived alone in the house. "Hey mom. Was my playing too loud?"

"Dinner time." Beca put her things away then went downstairs to help her mom set the table and to finish up dinner.

"Mom, I've been playing at an open mic on Thursdays." She quietly added, "with my own songs."

"I wondered why you'd been playing your guitar so much. I'm impressed Beca. It's nice for you to be involved with something."

"Lisa, the café owner, really likes my music. She ummm offered me a job. And before you say anything – it's only one night a week." She explained what all would be involved with the job. "And I get paid. I can use that for my car." When Beca's mom didn't respond, the girl got nervous.

Beca's mom finally gave her blessing for her to work at the café. "When school starts, if this interferes with school, then you'll have to quit."

"Deal."

* * *

The next Thursday Beca went into the open mic early to let Lisa know she was interested in the job. Lisa was delighted and asked Felix to show Beca the ropes. Because they'd be busy all night once the doors opened, Felix and Beca sat in the back munching on their dinner.

"You are taking my place, huh? Big shoes to fill." When Beca's eyes widened, Felix laughed. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. You'll do great. Plus, you get lots of time to work on your music."

"Hey Felix, I want to get your opinion on something. Check this out." She got out her phone and connected to her YouTube channel. "My friends have been forcing me to upload my songs so they can hear them."

"Awesome. You have an Instagram?" Beca nodded. "You could take short clips of your song and upload them to Instagram. Put your YouTube link in your profile. Get you some more hits."

"Dude, I don't want more hits. My friends want to hear my songs, and if I don't let them, I'll never hear the end of it." She showed Felix her new mini stand she planned on using to record her songs. "I'll experiment until I get it right."

The open mic went well. Felix let Beca take the lead on most of the activities needed to make the evening work. She was confident she would be able to run the next Thursday fine on her own. As she and Felix were helping clean the tables, Lisa brought them both envelopes. Felix stuffed his in his back pocket and gave Lisa a hug goodbye.

"Don't be a stranger Felix. And don't forget me when you're rich and famous." He laughed at his now former boss and left.

Beca looked in the envelope and saw it was full of cash. "Ummm Lisa, what's this?"

"Your cut of the door. I told you. Half is yours."

"I just helped today Lisa. I wasn't expecting to get paid tonight." She tried to hand the envelope back.

"Nope, it's yours. Half the door. You earned it."

* * *

When she got home, Beca uploaded her performance videos and messaged her friends to let them know it was ready. Emily called her not too much later after she sent out the message.

"Hey Ems."

"Beca! I love your songs. These were splendid. I can't wait to hear more."

The tiny musician grinned back at her friend. "Oh did I tell you? I work at the café now. Felix is moving to Los Angeles, and Lisa needed a host for open mic." She gave her the details and let her know her mom was cool with it since it's only one night a week.

"Great! I've been dying to ask but was hoping you'd bring it up yourself. What's going on with you and Chloe?"

Beca's already large smile expanded even further as she blushed. "I'm sure you know she surprised me last week, with the pictures we posted and all. We talk every night."

"Then things are good, right?" Beca nodded. "Aunt Josie asked about you the under day. She said to tell you she said hello."

* * *

As the days passed, Beca marked them off, one by one, on a calendar which tracked the time until she would see Chloe again. She and the redhead continued their nightly phone chats. The last set of campers leave the following day which was Sunday morning, and the staff was done with camp shut down on Tuesday.

Chloe and Stacie had driven to camp together at the beginning of the summer. The pair agreed that Stacie would drop Chloe off at Beca's then drive Chloe's car home. After Beca worked the open mic on Thursday, she would take Chloe home on Friday.

When the counselors arrived, Stacie announced she was ready for some real food. They decided on Thai which was something they didn't have much of a chance to eat around Camp Barden. And rather than delivery, they decided to go to the restaurant so they could relax and enjoy the meal.

"I've been seeing your YouTube vids Shorty. Pretty impressive." Stacie dragged a shrimp spring roll through the bowl of peanut sauce and took a bite. "I'm glad you've been going to this open mic."

Chloe slid her arm through Beca's. "She's not just going Stace, she's the hostess."

"Oh I didn't realize. Congrats Becs. Moving on up in the world. Impressive." She popped the rest of her spring roll into her mouth. "Keep uploading your music. I dig it."

When Beca showed up early to work on Thursday, she was excited to introduce Chloe to Lisa.

"And Chloe is…?"

"I'm Beca's girlfriend." Chloe's response was swift as her smile shown bright and broad. Beca was stunned by Chloe's response to Lisa's question.  _Girlfriend?_  They had never talked about it. They had talked how neither of them wanted to see anyone else, but hearing that Chloe considered them girlfriends was surprising.

"I kind of figured that," Lisa responded. "I remember you came a few weeks ago and how Beca's face lit up when she saw you. You are a lucky girl Chloe."

"I'm the lucky one," Beca managed to squeak out.

"I saw something online Beca." Lisa pulled out her phone and opened up her YouTube app to show Beca's channel.

"Oh, I guess I should have asked. My best friends… and Chloe… don't live close enough to come every week. They want to see my songs though." She suddenly got worried that Lisa might not like her uploading her performances. "I'm sorry. I should have asked."

"No apologies needed. I like it, and apparently so do others. You must have a lot of friends."

Beca took the phone and looked at the subscriptions on her channel. "Ummm no. I'm not that popular."

"Oh," Chloe interrupted, her voice chipper and bright. "We've all been sharing with our friends. They love it."

"Well so do I," Lisa responded. "Can you create one of these for the café? And one of those picture sites, an insta-thing?"

"Instagram?"

Lisa nodded. "We can figure out a way to video each performer and upload videos of those who sign a waiver. It would be a great way to promote the café."

"Ummm sure. I guess. Let me think about how to do it, and I'll let you know."

When Lisa wandered off to finish getting ready for the crowd about to come through her doors, Beca and Chloe started in on their food. The open mic host scooted forward and shoved her foot between Chloe's legs. "Girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, girlfriend."


	15. Pictures to Prove It

After Beca and Chloe dragged themselves out of bed the next day and got themselves fed, they headed towards Chloe's. While Beca was driving, Chloe initiated a three-way call with Stacie and Emily. "Beca and I will be home tonight. She's only staying a few days, so we all need to get together tomorrow." Emily lived not too far from Stacie and Chloe, and this was going to be a perfect time for them to all spend time together.

After deciding when and where the group was meeting, Chloe disconnected the call and plugged her phone into the car. She had 'stolen', according to Beca, her favorite mixes from Beca's burgeoning collection. A few were chosen by Chloe and the rest by Beca because Chloe wanted a "surprise". Though she'd never admit it out loud, the brunette was tickled that her girlfriend was so into her music, her original songs as well as what she mixed.

"Have you always been into music?" Chloe reached over and entwined her fingers in Beca's right hand.

"I suppose." Beca brought her hand up so she could kiss Chloe's knuckles. "I listened to all different types of music growing up. Then starting in middle school, I really got into it. The mash ups were something I always did for fun. I taught myself to play the guitar when I started getting ideas for my own songs."

"In middle school… you wrote your own songs?" Chloe sounded impressed.

"Yup. And when I got to high school, I got to take guitar as an elective and took actual lessons, learned some theory, etc."

"Well I think your songs are amazing." Chloe gripped Beca's had more tightly.

"The local community college offers songwriting courses. They don't fit in my schedule during the year, but I'm thinking of seeing if I can enroll next summer even though I haven't graduated. Since I'm not going to be going to camp and all."

Chloe belted out the songs she knew, and with a little prompting Beca sang parts of her originals. The pair talked about school, their futures, and everything else under the sun. Soon they had arrived at Chloe's house feeling like they had just left Beca's not too long ago. Chloe's mom was out of town for the weekend, so they had the house to themselves. She left Chloe a note on the kitchen table that simply said  _Behave_. Chloe laughed as she showed it to Beca.

Since it was getting close to dinnertime, Chloe checked the refrigerator and announced there wasn't enough to cook. "We are meeting Stacie and Emily out tomorrow; how about we order delivery?" Chloe pulled Beca down on the couch next to her.

Beca chuckled as she leaned over to steal a kiss from the redhead. "How about we go shopping?"

"How about pizza?" Chloe waggled her phone in front of Beca who quickly agreed if pineapple was only on half. As Chloe made the order, Beca began to stretch her neck muscles, moving her head left and right and twisting her shoulders to work out the driving kinks. Once the call was made, Chloe moved to wriggle behind Beca on the couch. She began rubbing her hands over Beca's back, up her neck, to her head. As she began to rub at the base of Beca's skull, the tiny brunette moaned in pleasurable relief.

"I'll give you two hours to stop that… or until the pizza gets here." Her eyes were closed and head leaned back into Chloe's chest. The redhead moved back to Beca's shoulders and massaged at the tension which had settled there during the drive. She worked on her girlfriend's muscles for quite some time.

She then slid her hands over Beca's back to her upper arms and down her forearms before carefully moving around to straddle her. Chloe reached for each hand in turn, massaging palms and fingers, digit by digit. She wiggled her legs around Beca's waist, tucking them in behind her as she continued to rub various parts of her body. Chloe leaned forward and placed her lips on Beca's neck, gently kissing. "This okay?"

Beca arched her neck, stretching the skin taut before murmuring a soft yes. As the brunette melted into her girlfriend's touch, Chloe's soft kisses turned to gentle sucking up and down Beca's neck causing her soft murmurs to turn to moans. Chloe ran her tongue up Beca's neck, across her jawline and down the other side as Beca shifted beneath her undoubtedly adjusting to the warm feeling creeping up her body.

With her hands on either side of Beca's face, Chloe leaned close and used her tongue to trace Beca's lips. The smaller girl immediately reacted by hooking her arms around Chloe's back and pulling their bodies close then capturing her mouth in a deep kiss, their tongues tangling and whimpers coming from each girl.

Beca broke the kiss as she began to kiss and suck her way down Chloe's jaw and throat. She pulled her hands from behind Chloe's back, placing them on her shoulders, palms flat beneath her collarbone. When Chloe gently bucked her hips forward, pressing her crotch against Beca's, the brunette let one hand fall to Chloe's breast – cupping it and gently squeezing. The redhead reacted as she had the other night with a gasp as she threw her head back enjoying the sensation.

Chloe ran her palms to Beca's face, holding her gently as they made out on the couch. The redhead was about ready to drag her girlfriend to her bedroom when the doorbell rang. Chloe pushed back from Beca, panting. Her pupils were blown and hair mussed. "To be continued," she chuckled as she got up to get the pizza.

When Beca stood and took several deep breaths to clear her mind. When she realized exactly how turned on she had been with Chloe on top of her, she felt her face turn scarlet. These feelings were new to her and she hadn't quite figured how to deal with them. She adjusted her shorts and went to the kitchen to get plates and drinks. After splashing some cool water on her face, she felt slightly calmer but still wasn't sure how she was going to "go slow" at the pace they were going.

When Chloe brought the food into the kitchen, she grabbed Beca and pushed her against the counter. She pressed her mouth against the brunette's ear and whispered, "I think the delivery guy knew exactly what he interrupted." Beca just grinned as she pulled her slices onto her plate.

The girls made quick work of their pizza while watching a movie on Netflix. Chloe put her plate on the coffee table then tucked her feet beneath her as she leaned into Beca. The brunette put her arm around Chloe and pulled her close. Neither girl spoke during the movie, just enjoyed the quiet entertainment. And when the movie was over, neither of them moved to select another.

After eating, they agreed that since Beca would be here a few days, grocery shopping was in order since cooking would be a less expensive option then eating out every meal. Plus, Chloe's mom would be happy to come home to a stocked kitchen. While Chloe wasn't the most excited to be cooking, Beca convinced her it would be a fun way to spend time together.

* * *

The store was a fun experience as they had not shopped with each other before. They both wanted to push the shopping cart so ended up taking turns every other aisle. "Do you have a waffle maker?" Beca wanted to try her hand at a waffle recipe she'd found online. Chloe said they did, so ingredients for the waffles got into the basket along with things for several other meals.

Once they got home and the groceries put away, Beca asked if it was too early for her to shower and get ready for bed. She was still a little tired from the drive and wanted to be able to enjoy their day with the others tomorrow. Chloe got her a towel and face cloth and left so she could have some privacy.

Beca turned on the shower to get the water hot then undressed, folded her clothes, and stacked them on the back of the toilet. Steam filled the bathroom as she stepped in and let the hot water cascade over her back. Unconsciously she began to hum a tune, filling in words here and there. Her mind had drifted back to earlier on the couch. She wasn't sure how her body was supposed to react to the things they had been doing, but she did know that she certainly enjoyed how she had felt.

She heard a quiet click which sounded like the bathroom door closing. She craned her head sideways, listening and watching through the frosted panel of the shower door. When she saw a body on the other side, she asked, "Chlo? That you?"

The shower door opened. "I hope so." Chloe opened the door wide. Beca's mouth dropped open to see the redhead standing there with nary a stitch of clothing. "I thought you might need help washing your back." Chloe gave a sexy smirk as she waited for Beca's reaction.

Beca knew that her face was already red due to the heat. She was speechless as her eyes raked over the redhead's body. Chloe had seen her naked once at camp, but she had never seen Chloe without her clothes despite imagining it time and time again. Before Beca could find her words, Chloe had stepped into the shower and closed the door behind her. She took Beca's hips in her hands and rotated her to face the wall. Chloe found her shower gel and rather than squeezing some on a face cloth, she put it on her hands before rubbing them together to get bubbles.

Chloe then ran her hands over Beca's skin, starting at her shoulders, across her back and arms, and down to her butt. She playfully squeezed Beca's ass as she washed. Then, she pulled Beca's back into her and continued to wash Beca's chest, stomach and the front of her thighs. She turned Beca around to face her so she could watch the brunette's reaction when she fondled each breast, all in the name of cleanliness, of course. Beca's eyes were screwed shut, but her face was a picture of bliss.

She pulled Chloe into her and rubbed their bodies together further soaping Chloe's front. Beca poured a bit of gel in her hands and rubbed them together. Before she went to wash Chloe's back, she kissed her. Chloe slid her hands across Beca's slick body as they got lost in each other's mouth, Beca reached behind her girlfriend to lather her back. She quickly held her hands in the water spray to rinse off the soap so she could hold Chloe's face and kiss her even harder.

Chloe manipulated both their bodies to allow the spray to wash off the soap. She then surprised Beca by pushing her against the cold shower wall. As Beca gasped, Chloe pressed one leg between her thighs. The brunette naturally pushed down as she felt her wetness spread across Chloe's leg. The redhead reached down to grab Beca's backside and pulled her more tightly against her, rocking.

"Becs…" Chloe whimpered. Beca only moaned as unknown pleasurable sensations were shooting through her body. She realized that Beca was about to lose control and almost replaced her leg with her hand. Instead she put her foot back on the floor and backed off. Beca's eyes opened but weren't quite focused. "Water's getting cold."

"Mmmm. What?"

"Let's move to the bed Becs." She reached around the brunette and cranked off the water before opening the shower door to grab both towels. Beca stood still, still somewhat in a daze, as Chloe dried her off then wrapped the towel around her to nudge her out the door. She then dried herself and followed Beca into the bedroom.

Beca pulled on a soft t-shirt and a pair of underwear, forgoing her sleep bottoms, and crawled into bed. Soon, Chloe was right next to her. "What happened to going slow Chloe?" Beca's body wasn't in much of a state to resist her girlfriend's temptations, but her mind was still concerned about the conversation they had a few days earlier. Chloe moved to straddle Beca again. "God, I can't think when you do that."

"That's the point," Chloe giggled. "Let's not think about things, just go moment by moment. I've been thinking - the rest of the summer won't last for long then we both have school. I don't want us to lose the time we have to spend together. Plus, have you seen yourself?" Chloe waggled her eyebrows suggestively before leaning down to place slow, suggestive kisses around Beca's face and neck. "Hot," she whispered.

Beca pulled her down to the bed and pulled herself over to lay over part of Chloe's side. "Long as you're sure baby." She leaned over to kiss Chloe's neck. "Mmmm you smell good. Now, where were we?"

Chloe ran her hands down Beca's side to her hips. "Before the pizza got here, or in the shower?"

* * *

The next day, Stacie was going to pick up Emily and meet Chloe and Beca at the mall. Mall food wasn't the best option, but they could all choose what they wanted. Plus, security didn't care how long they sat at the tables visiting. Once everybody had their food, the girls ate and gabbed about everything. Emily and Stacie were excited in hearing about Beca's open mic experience but also had it had turned into a job.

"I still feel weird playing my songs in front of people and even stranger to be hosting the gig. I'm sure it'll get easier with time."

"it wouldn't feel so odd had you ever shared your music with us before. You'd be used to it." Chloe playfully swatted her girlfriend's arm.

Beca told them how the owner, Lisa, had found the YouTube channel Emily had set up and was impressed. "She wants me to tape everyone, like I'm some sort of electronics, YouTube guru." The girls discussed how a different device than just Beca's phone on a stand was needed.

After a lot of kicking around ideas, the determination was made that Lisa needed to buy a camcorder along with a tripod. While the open mic could not be recorded in one long continuous stream, Lisa could help by stopping the recording and starting a new one periodically through the evening. Beca could then take the recordings and edit them for each performer to upload to YouTube.

"I'm used to editing and playing with music; I suppose I could learn to do the same thing with video." The more the foursome talked, the more confident Beca was getting about the plan. They decided later to go down to the electronic store and explore options to take back to Lisa.

* * *

The girls had been visiting for quite some time when Stacie caught a glimpse of Tom sitting with his friends, big man on campus. The mood immediately shifted as the group of girls tried to shield Chloe from his view to avoid conflict. Unfortunately, one of the guys saw her and nudged Tom to get his attention so he could point out Chloe.

Tom wiped his face with his napkin and stood to saunter towards Chloe and her friends. Both Stacie and Emily stood up with their arms crossed. At 5'8" each, they formed a formidable barrier despite not being quite as tall as Tom. Beca stayed right next to Chloe to keep her calm.

Since Tom could not get close to his ex-girlfriend, he projected his voice out to make sure his buddies could hear him. "I haven't seen you in a while Chloe." Chloe kept quiet, trying to not engage the jerk. Despite the things Tom was saying, he still couldn't get a reaction from her. "You are such a redheaded whore Chloe. One thing I always liked about you was how you sucked my dick." He hitched his crotch towards her, certain she could see through her friends. "Nothing like a girlfriend who puts out all. the. time."

Chloe's eyes widened as a blush crept up her face. She had a death grip on one of Beca's hands as the brunette was hugging her with the other arm. "This tiny thing your girlfriend?" Tom sneered. He directed his next insults towards Beca. "Let me guess… she told you she was a virgin then screwed you with all of the experience of a prostitute." Chloe was beginning to quiver with each booming word.

Stacie uncrossed her arms and clenched her fists as she took a menacing step towards the jerk. "YOU need to shut the fuck up and go back to your friends, dickhead."

He laughed as he turned to go back to his table. "You aren't even worth my time Chloe Beale. Everyone knows I dumped you for screwing the football time. All of them." By the time Tom got back to his table, his friends were all laughing.

Forgetting that she was trying to comfort her girlfriend, Beca untangled herself from Chloe and stomped over to the guys' table. "That's funny, Tom. We all heard that Chloe dumped YOU because YOU were the one screwing the football team. Talk about a master at sucking dick." Tom's friends were really doubled over laughing now. He's face was purple with rage as he got up and stomped off. Beca called after him. "And, she has pictures to prove it."

Chloe was horrified at the entire scene. When Beca turned around, her girlfriend was gone. Apparently as soon as Beca had gotten up, Chloe had taken off and missed the entire show. "Stacie, where's Chloe?"

The two tall brunettes looked around in confusion. "Fuck Becs. I didn't even see her leave."

Stacie and Emily went to check the restrooms while Beca left to see if Chloe had gone to the car. She wasn't in the restroom, but Beca found her in the car, sobbing. Beca texted her friends to let them know she'd found her. Stacie wanted to know if Beca needed them to come out there, but Beca thought it might be best for her to try to handle things on her own. "I'll message you if you need to come over later."

Luckily the doors were unlocked and Beca slid into the passenger seat. She placed a comforting hand on Chloe's shoulder before pulling her over a bit. "I know this is awkward, but I really wish I could hold you Chlo." The redhead was crying so hard she couldn't even talk. Beca just spoke in low tones telling her that everything was going to be okay. "Tom is a jerk Chloe. This just proves it even more. None of us believed a word he had to say."

"Y-y-you don't?" Chloe managed to ask incredulously. The hiccups were keeping her from talking too much.

"No!" Beca exclaimed. "He's a prick. You were honest with me up front and I have no reason to not take your word at face-value." While she didn't speak many more words, she kept rubbing Chloe's arms and shoulder trying to calm her down. Eventually she stopped crying despite still being obviously upset.

"Change seats with me. Let's go home, and you don't need to drive."

Chloe silently agreed as she moved into the passenger seat. Before they left, Beca messaged Emily and Stacie to let them know she and Chloe were headed home.

"I ruined this afternoon. Ems and Stace are going to hate me."

"Never Chloe. They love you. They are worried about you but understand."

"Do you think they'd want to come over for dinner? We can fire up the grill and have steaks and veggies."

"You sure?" Chloe nodded. Beca was surprised but messaged Emily and Stacie who agreed. "They'll be there around six. Ready to head home?"

* * *

After arriving home, Beca spent some more time reassuring Chloe that she did not believe a word Tom said. She convinced Chloe to kick off her shoes and curl up in bed with her. She wrapped her arms around the redhead, spooning her until she drifted off. Beca could feel lack of tension in Chloe's body which was exactly what she was aiming for.

Eventually Beca felt they needed to get up. She didn't want Chloe to sleep too long so she wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Plus, they needed to get ready for their friends to come over. She was still positioned behind Chloe, so she started kissing the back of Chloe's neck. Her girlfriend unconsciously moved closer to Beca.

Despite all their big talk the night before, the pair had only had an extremely heavy make out session, both being too anxious to go the full distance. Yet they'd done enough to keep Beca's bravado up. The brunette ramped up her efforts to wake Chloe and slipped her hand beneath the redhead's shirt to lightly rub her soft skin on her stomach. Tucking her fingers beneath Chloe's bra, she gently massaged Chloe's breast before finding her nipple and gently tweaking it.

The redhead moaned, arched her back and turned her head to try to find Beca's mouth with hers. They shifted their bodies where Chloe was on her back. As Beca manipulated her breast, Chloe tried to regain her concentration. "Babe, do we have time for this?" Beca muttered an unintelligible response.

Chloe reached over and removed Beca's hand from her shirt which immediately caused Beca to stick her lower lip out in a pout. "Meanie. But you are right; our guests will be here soon. Time to get up and be domestic."

* * *

By the time Stacie and Emily arrived, all the food was prepped and waiting for the grill. They had a wide assortment of vegetables ranging from bell peppers to asparagus to corn on the cob and more. "This all looks yummy," Stacie said as she looked over the spread of raw ingredients.

Nobody mentioned the scene that Tom had caused earlier at the mall. Chloe seemed to be holding things together, and nobody wanted to bring up the mean words that had so obviously hurt the redhead's feelings.

In addition to the grilled steaks and veggies which Chloe and Beca were taking care of outside, Stacie and Emily decided to make a fresh salad to have a cooler element. Once the salad was finished and waiting in the refrigerator, Emily started playing on YouTube. She came across one particular clip that had her stunned. As she showed it to Stacie, the older girl burst out laughing.

"Do you think we should show Chloe? I think she missed that part."

"I just can't believe his friends got it on video and only uploaded that part." Stacie was smirking. "Priceless."

Once all the food was ready, the girls sat around the table and enjoyed the bountiful meal. "For a bunch of high school kids, we did pretty good." Beca looked at her friends.

"Don't tell my mom," Chloe commented. "She'll expect me to help out more often."

As dinner was finished, the girls were all chipping in to clean up their messes. Emily threw a questioning look to Stacie who shrugged her shoulders. Emily decided the video was too good to pass up and chances were Chloe would see it eventually.

"Chloe…" Emily spoke to get her friend's attention. "I know this afternoon sucked for you, and I'm so glad you invited us over for dinner. Was really yummy." She watched the redhead carefully. "Ummm one of his friends put a video up online." Chloe began to get antsy, anticipating what part of the confrontation had been recorded.

She took a deep breath. "Well I am sure I'll see it at some time or the other. Might as well deal with it now."

Beca pulled Chloe around to face her and pressed their foreheads together. "You don't have to do this babe."

"I don't think you saw this part Chloe. Once Beca got up, you took off. This happened after that." Chloe was adamant about seeing the clip, so Emily queued it up and handed her phone to the redhead.

Chloe was quiet as she watched the short interaction between Beca and Tom. Indeed, she hadn't seen this, and Beca certainly hadn't told her. After the video was over, Chloe sat there, processing what she had seen. Suddenly she started to giggle. Then her laughs turned to guffaws. She put a hand on her girlfriend's arm. "Pictures to prove it? Oh Beca, that's awesome."


	16. Stop Stopping

Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe's middle and absently rubbed her girlfriend's stomach as she kissed the back of her neck. "Mmmm," she murmured as she breathed in the redhead's scent. "You smell good."

Chloe pulled Beca's arm closer into her waist as she turned her head to capture Beca's mouth with her own. "You don't believe Tom, do you?"

Beca squished her. "NO!" She replied empathetically.

"Thank you for defending me," Chloe whispered as she wriggled even closer to her girlfriend. She nudged Beca's hand to encourage additional rubbing.

"I will always come to defend my girl's honor." Beca caressed, slipping her hand beneath Chloe's pajama top. "Mmmm," she murmured again. "You feel good, too. We have three more full days together. When does your mom come home again?"

Chloe smirked. "Monday night, I think."

* * *

_[From Chloe]: Stace, I need your expertise  
_ _[From Chloe]: With Beca  
_ _[From Legs]: Can't help you there Chloe  
_ _[From Legs]: Girl-boy and girl-girl probably don't work the same  
_ _[From Chloe]: Sttttttaaaaaaaaaaacccccceeeeeeeeeeee  
_ _[From Legs]: Google it Chloe and talk to her.  
_ _[From Legs]: She's probably as nervous as you._

_[From Legs]: Just talk to her Becs.  
_ _[From Beca]: I can't Stace. She makes me a wiggly inside. I can't think.  
_ _[From Legs]: Still Jello for brains, talk to her. Tell her what you told me  
_ _[From Beca]: I'm whining here. Help me out Stace. I know you have experience.  
_ _[From Legs]: Somehow I don't think my experience with boys is the same between girls  
_ _[From Beca]: Ugh, I hate you_

Stacie tossed her phone on the couch beside her. Keeping up with which friend she was talking to was exhausting. Both Chloe and Beca had been rapid firing texts at her all morning with questions about how to take their relationship to the next level. She somehow knew that neither knew that the other was texting her. Stacie didn't have as much experience as she let her friends believe, and all was with boys anyway. She just hoped they took her advice and did their research. And communicated with each other.

* * *

Chloe stepped out of the shower and pulled her towel tightly against her body. She grabbed another and wringed some of the moisture out of her amber hair before wrapping the pink towel around her hair. Wandering into her bedroom, she pulled fresh clothing from her drawers before returning to the bathroom to hang up her body towel. She rubbed lotion into her skin before drying her hair a bit more and running a wide toothed comb through her curls.

An odd noise came from the living room where Beca was laying on the couch, iPad propped on her stomach. Chloe stepped to the door and watched Beca as her eyes were glued on the device. When she heard additional noises coming from what was playing on the screen, she quietly sneaked up behind her girlfriend to try to get a glimpse without getting caught by the brunette.

Chloe saw two naked women with freakishly large fake boobs fondling each other, moaning as they used their inch-long false fingernails to scrape each other's skin. The music was minimalist-sounding drums with a rimshot sound and that obvious bow chicka wah wah guitar. She slapped her hand over her mouth attempting to stifle the giggles bubbling out of her mouth. " _What_  are you watching Beca Mitchell?"

Beca sat up with such a start as if she'd been shocked with an electric cattle prod. She was punching the screen and fumbling with switches in an attempt to turn off what she was watching. Right before she hit the home button, one of the women she'd been watching began to scream some make-believe name. The brunette's face was a dark shade of red as she searched for words.

"I, ummmm,… that was…" She ducked her chin to her chest. "Research?"

Chloe sidled up to her and sweetly kissed her on the cheek. "Let me guess, Stacie wouldn't answer you either?"

"Stacie? What?" Beca had no idea how her girlfriend knew she'd texted their friend, so she tried to play things off.

The redhead took the iPad from Beca and put it on the coffee table. "She told me to research, too. And to talk to you. But I don't think porn is quite the research she was talking about Becs."

"I don't want to disappoint you Chloe. You make me … feel things, want things. And I think I'm ready to move things forward between us."

"You mean to stop stopping?" The redhead rubbed her hand across Beca's back.

"Yeah. To stop stopping." She grinned at Chloe. "You are all clean now." She tugged on Chloe's pajama top. "I'm

going to shower." Beca stood up then pointed at the iPad. "Oh and what I was watching… sucked. Don't bother with it."

* * *

When Beca got out of the shower, she dried off and got dressed in one of t-shirts and a cut-off pair of sweats, both belonging to Chloe. When she went into the bedroom and saw the redhead stretched out on the bed, her mouth went dry. Beca pulled her damp hair into a ponytail before walking over to stand next to Chloe's feet which were hanging over the edge.

The redhead rolled to her back with a devilish grin. She hooked her leg around Beca's and pulled her down to the bed. Beca laughed as she bounced on the mattress. "I don't know why you bothered getting dressed Becs." Chloe wrapped her fingers around the t-shirt and tugged the brunette towards her. Beca let herself fall against the redhead.

Beca raised her eyebrows. "Would have been a bit presumptuous of me had I walked out in my birthday suit."

"Stop stopping," Chloe giggled as she began to work her lips against Beca's neck before moving around to find her lips. They slowly kissed, exploring each other's bodies with their hands, slowly feeling the shapes and curves increasing the intensity between them. Lips on lips, lips on necks, lips on ears. Soon they were lost in each other and the electricity flowing between them.

Remembering what Chloe had done in the shower the day before, Beca slipped her leg between Chloe's. The redhead lifted her hips slightly to increase the pressure. Slow yet fervent movements were laced with underlying desire. Chloe sat up, her eyes open and locked on Beca's. Her stare was deep, intense as her eyes twinkled. Beca caught herself hoping that the thoughts behind Chloe's eyes were the same as hers. She sucked her lower lip in between her teeth.

"What are you thinking Chloe?" Beca leaned forward, making sure their eyes stayed glued to the each other's.

"About how much I want to touch you."

Beca's look was confused as she looked down at their bodies. "We are touching."

"I mean  _really_  touch you." Chloe slipped her hands around Beca's waist, reaching beneath the waistband of her sweatpants. Beca slowly laid down, afraid to move too quickly – as if she'd break the spell. Chloe dipped her hand further into Beca's sweats as she dropped her mouth to whisper right in Beca's ear. "Just a touch. Slow."

Despite the building sexual tension, Beca's body was frozen to the bed. As Chloe's hand moved further down, Beca's eyes shut. Not knowing what to expect, Beca tried to relax and enjoy the sensations running through her body. When Chloe's hand tucked into Beca's panties and brushed across her wetness, the brunette gasped. "Fuck Chlo."

Beca's mind blurred and the events immediately following Chloe's initial touch – the amazement of her hand, her fingers, her lips, her teeth – were all Beca's mind could see and feel. Chloe rolled on top of Beca, kissing her solidly with want, desire, lust. When the brunette could move again, her hands began to explore Chloe's sides, her back, her neck.

Both girls began to tear at the clothing that kept them from being skin to skin. Soon they both were free of their sleepwear. "Beca, I want you," Chloe whispered.

"Then stop stopping," Beca replied.

Chloe began to lick her way down Beca's stomach and hips, listening to the way Beca responded as Chloe's tongue guided across thighs, stopping just short of where Beca wanted her to be. Her hot breath melted into Beca's wetness as the brunette lifted her hips to beg Chloe to take her. To stop stopping. Chloe gave a few soft flicks, stopped, looked up and then began to lick her way back up. Beca gave a small whine of protest.

Beca closed her eyes in agony and tried to concentrate on the electricity flowing between them to keep her thoughts from the throb in her crotch. Next thing she knew, Chloe was straddling her, resting herself on Beca's pelvis with her hands on Beca's breasts. Chloe slowly slid her wetness up Beca's body, inch by inch, settling in so she'd know exactly how wet Chloe was. Beca could only respond with a whimper which brought a smile to Chloe's face. If Beca didn't know any better, she'd be convinced Chloe was enjoying the agony she was inflicting on her girlfriend.

Beca reached up to massage Chloe's breasts which caused the redhead to throw back her head. "Chlo," Beca whispered. "I need you." She tucked a hand behind Chloe's back and pulled her down beside her. Their kiss was fierce and deep. "Touch me. Please?"

Chloe dipped her hand back down and found Beca's wetness. And this time… she stopped stopping. Despite neither girl having been with another, they followed their instincts. Shudders and shakes took over the night. Hours and hours of turns and flips in bed. Exploring and discovering each other's bodies. Exhaustion finally took over in the wee hours of the night and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Despite spending the better part of Saturday night learning different ways to pleasure each other, Beca was still shy when it came to Chloe seeing her without clothes in the light of day. She did her best to not let this bother her, making up her mind to quickly adjust to her insecurities but still tried to keep her body covered with at least a sheet.

They had the house to themselves one more day before Chloe's mom came home on Monday. Beca had plenty of time to work on that confidence since her girlfriend didn't allow her many opportunities to put on clothes all the next day. Once the proverbial dam between them had burst, Chloe seemed insatiable. Beca had to work hard to force them up for food which she knew was needed to keep up the pace Chloe had set.

As the afternoon was drawing into the evening, Beca was able to convince they needed something more substantial for dinner than a sandwich. She refused to take a shower with Chloe on principle and went to get things ready to make dinner while Chloe got cleaned up. Once her girlfriend was done, Beca went to shower, leaving Chloe to continue preparations.

When Beca got out of the shower, an amazing smell filled the air. She got to the kitchen to find Chloe in the midst of making meatballs. Beca wandered over to the stove to find a pot of tomato sauce simmering. "Will you give that a stir Becs? Use the back of the spoon to smash any chunks you see."

"Damn babe, this smells amazing."

"And you thought I was crazy when I made you get us several pounds of fresh tomatoes. There's nothing like fresh tomato sauce. Unless of course you pair it with homemade meat balls."

"Are we making the pasta?"

"Not from scratch," Chloe chuckled. "I don't have the patience for it." She had Beca help her form the meatballs and ready them for frying before finishing them in the tomato sauce. As she was finishing the main portion of the meal, Beca made garlic bread and a small salad.

As they sat down to eat, Chloe sighed. "This feels so  _domestic_  Becs. I like having you here."

Beca stopped eating momentarily as she considered what Chloe had said. "Yeah, it feels right."

As the girls were finishing cleaning up the kitchen, Beca began to yawn. Naturally Chloe followed and they got into a yawning match, each blaming the other for starting the addicting trait. "Someone didn't let me get any rest. I feel like we were going at each other for almost twenty-four hours," Beca said through her third yawn.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I didn't hear any complaints.

Beca wrapped her arms around the redhead. "No complaints here. I just think we need to get a bit more sleep tonight. It wouldn't do for your mom to show up and you be inexplicably exhausted."

So, the pair got ready for bed, and after a short make-out session snuggled into each other to go to sleep. "Night Chloe."

"Night Becs." Chloe responded. Then Chloe turned to face Beca. "Hey Beca," she whispered.

"Mmmmm."

Chloe gave her a soft kiss. "I love you." She could feel Beca smiling despite the darkened room.

"I love you, too, Chlo. I love you, too."

The redhead grinned as she turned back over and let Beca hold her as they fell asleep.

* * *

On Monday, Beca sent Lisa an e-mail with the recommendations about a camcorder and tripod for the open mic. Her boss later replied to let her know everything would be waiting for Beca to try on Thursday. While she knew it was a great idea to promote the café', the tiny open mic hostess was a little freaked out because she'd never done video editing. Emily assured her the process was probably similar to creating mashups. Once Beca had whined sufficiently, Emily agreed to ask her mom if she could go home with Beca for the long weekend. After being working all summer at camp, Chloe needed to stay home and couldn't go with them.

On the drive back to Beca's, Emily began to pepper her friend with questions. She asked if Chloe was okay after the interaction with Tom at the mall. Beca assured her their friend was fine. "Why was Tom saying all that mean stuff about Chloe? I always got the impression Chloe is a virgin. She doesn't seem like the type of girl to sleep around." Beca blushed as she wasn't sure how to respond to her younger friend. "Beca?"

The shorter girl tried to not choke as she said, "ummm she was."

"Was? WHAT?" Beca glanced over to the passenger seat and grinned. "You two? Sealed the deal?" When Beca nodded, Emily began to pump her for details.

"Come on Ems, this is Chloe we are talking about. I'm not going to disrespect her."

Eventually Emily quit asking questions even though she seemed delighted that her friends had consummated their relationship.

"She told me she loves me," Beca said quietly. This caught Emily's attention.

"How do you feel?"

"I think… I think what I feel is love. I'm not sure. I've never been in love before," Beca admitted.

"When she told you, what'd you do?"

"Told her back."

* * *

Beca and Emily showed up to the café Thursday morning to test out the camcorder and other equipment. "Hey Lisa, you remember Emily? She came to make sure I don't mess up editing the video."

Lisa greeted Emily. "Where's the redhead? Chloe was it?"

Beca couldn't hide the smile on her face. "She couldn't make it but will live vicariously through YouTube and Instagram."

Once Emily and Beca had everything situated, Emily announced she wanted to go to the print shop around the corner. Beca didn't question her friend, and since they had plenty of time before they needed to be back for open mic, Beca and Emily took off.

When they returned, Emily gave Lisa a short stack of flyers. "What's this?"

"We made an Instagram and YouTube account just for Apache Café. Beca's going to keep posting on her site, but the more we can get people to tag your café, and follow you on social media, the more popular your place is going to be. At least that's what I'm hoping."

"This flyer is pretty good. You made it?"

"It's just a hobby of mine. I'm sure you can have one professionally made. You might consider having some business cards made so artists can take them – self promotion and all. Oh, do you have internet here?"

"I have a secure network for the business."

"You might consider having free wi-fi for your customers. Most coffee shops have that these days, and a lot of my generation expect it."

"How did you get to be so educated on this?" Lisa asked.

"I took a social media elective last year in school. Plus, it's just the in-thing right now."

* * *

Beca opened the open mic by letting the artists know they were all going to be recorded. If they wanted to opt-out of being promoted on the YouTube channel, there was an opt-out form they could sign. She also let everyone know of the café's new Instagram account and encouraged people to tag the Apache Café in pictures and shorter video clips.

Since the hostess had been which Chloe all week, she hadn't had time to work on a completely new song. But she had about half a dozen she was comfortable with and performed two of those songs. Emily showed her how to work the camcorder's remote so she could stop and restart the recording every few artists to make edits easier. Once Beca got into a rhythm, the process was easy. Thank the former singer, stop video, start video, introduce the next. She had to concentrate a bit more, but there really was nothing to it.

After clean-up, Emily showed Lisa the Instagram page which already had several dozen followers and as many pictures tagged. She set up the app on the owners' phone and showed her how to upload things she wanted like pictures of the food, coffee, baristas, etc. "It's super easy once you get the hang of it."

The next day, Emily and Beca spent several hours working on the editing. Since Beca had never done video editing before, she was painstakingly slow. "I'm a perfectionist with my mixes, too, Ems. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right." Each video got uploaded separately to YouTube – labeled with the artist and date. Beca also uploaded her own songs to her own channel. She was also surprised to see that Emily had created a cool Instastory of the open mic along with pictures.

Not too long after Beca texted Chloe to check social media, a FaceTime request came in. "Becccccccaaaaaaaaaaa everything looks wonderful." Chloe's smile stretched across her face.

Beca laughed. "Hey, I didn't do it. It was all baby Legs here." Emily leaned into the frame and waved.

"Hey Ems. Great job."

The three talked about the open mic and some other random things before Beca announced her stomach was about to eat a hole through her spine and declared it was time for her and Emily to get some lunch.

"Bye babe. I love you." Chloe blew a kiss towards the camera.

"Love you, too." Beca ended the phone call.

"Geesh," Emily said in a mock disgusted voice. "You two are awful."

* * *

Summer ended way too quickly, and all the girls returned to school. Chloe and Stacie were excited about their senior year of high school, mostly because they considered it the end of an era. Chloe and Beca kept their relationship alive with regular Skype dates. At least once a month, one girl would make the short trip to spend the weekend with the other – especially when they had a long weekend.

Apache Café's open mic night was growing in popularity. So much that Beca had to limit the number of slots which were available each week and had a waiting list every time. Lisa assured her this was a good problem to have. The more people who showed up on Thursdays meant more money in Beca's pocket. After Emily started the YouTube channel, Beca felt obligated to get the uploads done as quickly as possible. She normally spent her Friday nights or Saturdays editing. Of course, if it was her weekend to visit Chloe, she felt she was rushing things.

"Please Ems? You know I already think you are the bee's knees." Beca put on her most pitiful looking face before she scrunched up her features and pulled the camera on her phone close.

"Ewww Beca. Stop! That makes you look ugly." Beca chuckled. "What about the other parts?" Emily grinned, knowing this confused her friend. "You know the bee's elbows, little hands, toes…" She continued with body parts until Beca interrupted.

"Okay, okay, okay. You are all the parts of the bee. Now will you please help me? I can upload the footage in Dropbox."

"Yeah, I'll help you bud. But you know this means you and Chloe owe me food. My choice."

Beca stretched the phone away from her face and did a fist pump. "Yes! It wouldn't be very often. Only on the weekends where it's my turn to visit Chloe. If you didn't help out, I'd have to stay up all Thursday night to get things done."

The additional crowds and full open mic scheduled was keeping Beca on her toes, but she wouldn't have it any other way. The quality of the acts was improving and hearing the new music was inspirational in her own creations. After the café had maxed out it's occupancy capacity the second week in a row, Lisa approached Beca to give her the door proceeds.

Beca nodded her head and went to stick the envelope in her back pocket as usual. She stopped and examined the money. "Lisa? This is way more than half the door."

Her boss grinned at her. "It's 90%. I'd give it all to you but regs say if I'm going to charge a cover, I have to account for it in the books."

"No," Beca said as she tried to hand the envelope to her boss. "We agreed on half. I can't take this much money."

Lisa pushed back. "I insist. The café has more than doubled revenue in food and drink sales. Plus, I know you are spending a lot of time editing those videos for YouTube. I appreciate your hard work Beca. Just take the money."

The tiny hostess grinned, shoved the money into her pocket and went back to putting chairs on top of tables.

* * *

Beca's mom was impressed with how her daughter was managing working, albeit only one night a week, and school. She adored Chloe so didn't have a problem with the monthly visits. This was Beca's weekend to go to Chloe's. With her raise from the Apache Café, she picked out a small present for her girlfriend and a cute arrangement of flowers for Chloe's mom.

Friday night, Chloe was propped up between Beca's legs as the brunette's back was on a huge bean bag in the floor of Chloe's bedroom. Beca fiddled with the new ladybug charm on her girlfriend's bracelet. "Do you like it?"

"I love it Becs. You are so thoughtful. And Mom was tickled at the flowers, too." Chloe ran her hands over the parts of Beca's legs that she could reach.

"I kind of promised Emily lunch tomorrow or dinner. She gets to pick. We should invite Stacie." She explained the arrangement she'd made with the younger girl for editing the open mic videos so the couple could spend time together.

"I'd like that. Ummm can I invite Aubrey – Pitch? She's home from college this weekend and wants to see me and Stace. Plus, she has been raving about your music." Chloe craned her head around to see Beca's reaction.

"Aubrey? Seriously? Hmmm sure. The more then merrier. Well not really but yeah, ask her." Beca hadn't realized her former counselor had exposure to her music. "She likes my music?"

"Duh." Chloe crawled around, putting her legs around Beca's waist. "She subscribes to the café's YouTube. And I kinda gave her some of your mixes." Chloe got an uneasy look on her face. "I hope that's okay."

Beca grinned. "Of course Chloe. I'm glad you want to share – and that Aubrey likes it."

Relief washed over Chloe's face. "Duh. I'm proud of my girlfriend," she giggled. "My very talented girlfriend."

Emily had decided on a late lunch at her favorite restaurant. Aubrey was the last to arrive and slid into her chair after greeting everyone. Emily and Beca were cautious at first since they had never been around their summer camp counselor outside of camp. Chloe and Stacie hadn't seen Aubrey since she'd left for college and were peppering their friend with questions.

Aubrey answered them for a bit then held up her hand. "Hey guys. I talk to you every week on the phone. There are two other people at the table here." She turned to Beca. "Chloe gave me some of your mashups to listen to and I watch your YouTube videos religiously. Beca, you have some amazing musical talent. Tell me how you got into this."

Beca ducked her chin down, blushing at the sincere interested her former counselor was showing in her music. She told her brief story about how she got involved in mixing songs together then about how Chloe saw the sign for the open mic and made Emily promise to make Beca go. Emily shared the beginnings of the social media at Apache Café. "And the rest as they say is history."

"I hope you know that at least half of Chloe and my conversations are about you. This means that I have to give you the best friend speech later."

Beca swallowed nervously before grinning. "Sure thing…  _Pitch_."

"Oh my goodness." Emily almost knocked over the table as she forgot to push her chair back before standing up. She was studying something on her phone and obviously extremely excited. "Apache Café has over a thousand followers on YouTube."

Beca grinned. "That's great." She knew Lisa would be happy.

"You don't understand Beca. Did Lisa ever get internet at the café like we talked about?" Beca nodded. "Once a YouTube account passes a thousand followers, they can go live!" Emily was beyond excited. "I'll design a flyer really quick you can e-mail Lisa today to post to let everyone know that Thursday's open mic will be live streaming. Yay!"

The girls had a superb time visiting and catching up with each other. Beca caught Aubrey staring at her and Chloe holding hands. "What?" Beca couldn't help but to add a snarky tone to her question.

"I still can't believe you two are dating. You  _hated_  each other the first two summers. And now look at you." Aubrey was obviously teasing as she recalled the times she had to mediate the two.

As lunch was wrapping up, Beca began to think about the bill. She had already planned on paying for herself, Chloe, and Emily. Now with the additional two people, she was mentally adding up how much she might be out. When the server dropped the check on the table, Aubrey immediately snatched it up. When the others protested, she ignored them and gave the waitress her credit card.

"At least let me get the tip." Beca grumbled pulled cash from her wallet and counted out the appropriate amount.

* * *

The rest of the school year went smoothly as Beca and Chloe fell into their comfortable routine. The regular Skype dates and monthly visits were enough to keep their fledgling relationship blooming and both girls happy. Beca's mom invited Chloe to spend Thanksgiving with them since her mom was going to visit family in the Pacific Northwest. Beca headed to Chloe's after Christmas so they could spend New Year's together.

The spring semester kept them both busy, Chloe with preparations for college the next year and Beca with school. She was not only taking advanced guitar lessons but had gotten her schedule changed to include a social media elective on Emily's insistence. Every idea she pitched to Lisa for the Apache Café was met with exuberance.

When Chloe got her acceptance letter to Barden University, Beca was excited since the redhead going to BU would effectively cut travel time for their visits in half. Chloe was excited because that's where Aubrey was already going and where Stacie was going to probably attend as well.

What else more could Beca say than  _life was good?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Year 17 will be 1-2 chapters. Year 18 will be 1 chapter. And an epilogue will wrap this up.


	17. Year 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After summer: Beca is 17 (senior in high school), Chloe and Stacie are 18 (freshmen in college), Emily is 16 (sophomore in high school)

 

Students (and teachers) were counting down until the last day of school. As soon as the final bell rang on Friday, Beca raced out and threw her bag into the backseat of her car. She was ten minutes out of town before she realized what she was missing and had to turn around and go back home.

She pulled up to her house and ran inside. "Mom? Mom! It's time to go. Come on!" She was shouting from right inside the door. Grabbing her mom's suitcase, she tossed it into the trunk and rushed back inside. Her mom pulled a sack from the fridge and headed to the door.

"Hold your horses missy." She grabbed her keys from the hook beside the door and began to lock up. "Chloe's graduation isn't until tomorrow."

"I've already got your bag in the trunk." Beca was so excited she could barely stand it. She raced around to the driver's side.

"No ma'am." Her mom yelled at her. "We are taking my car. You've run yours up and down the road so much this past year. I don't want you to wear it out. Your next car won't be free."

Even though she pouted at having to move the bags over to her mom's car, Beca understood the reasoning. She had put a lot of miles on her car this year which was another reason to be happy that Chloe was going to Barden University. Neither of them would have as far to drive and perhaps they could see each other more frequently.

Beca's mom had slightly different tastes in music than her daughter. The rule in the Mitchell family had always been that the driver picks the songs, so Beca was relieved that her mom's choices weren't as awful as she used to think they were when she was younger.

Mother and daughter made quick work of the drive and soon were in the Beale's driveway. Without waiting for her mom, Beca bolted to the door to greet her girlfriend. She'd texted Chloe as they got close, so the redhead was waiting on her. "My girl is graduating tomorrow!" The tiny brunette grabbed her girlfriend around the waist and swung her around. Beca was about as happy as Chloe, if not happier. Perhaps proud was a better word.

She saw Chloe's mom standing in the doorway. "My apologies Ms. Beale. I'd like for you to meet my mom." The two women introduced themselves as everyone made their way inside the house. The two parents visited about their daughters as well as themselves, jobs, and other adult things while Chloe was busy telling Beca all about the different graduation parties the next day.

"I've invited Stacie and her parents to come to dinner with us tonight. We decided our daughters would probably rather go to their own parties than celebrate with the old fogies."

"Yay, two nights of dressing up." Beca rolled her eyes. "Just kidding Ms. Beale. Oh, and thanks again for asking my mom to stay here tonight."

"Yes, thank you. I wouldn't dare dream of missing Chloe's graduation. She's become a regular fixture at my house, and I am tickled she invited me."

Family dinner went well. Chloe's mom had even invited Emily and Aubrey, so all Chloe and Stacie's key friends were there. Later that night, Beca gave Chloe her graduation gift. "It's not much," she said sheepishly, "but I didn't know what to get you."

"You always get me things sweetie. I'm sure it's perfect." Chloe carefully slid her fingernail beneath the tape around the various sides and gently pulled off the paper. She lifted the cover of the paper box and found a dark wooden box. Her name was carved on the box and beneath that was a painted carving of a ladybug on a long leaf. "Oh Beca, it's beautiful." She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Beca's neck, pressing their lips together.

"There's more." Beca motioned for her to open the box.

When Chloe did, she found a small book and beneath that were ticket stubs, amusement park tickets, various wristbands from concerts they had attended. The book was leather bound with homemade paper pages. Beca had filled the book with pictures of them together as a couple starting from when they first started hanging out together. Beca even had written dates and descriptions on some of them.

Happy tears began to stream down Chloe's face as she flipped through, examining each picture. Beca had thrown in some of them with their other friends, too. "Beca, this is amazing. I can't believe you put this together." She got to the last page which was blank and looked over to her girlfriend.

"That's for tomorrow after you graduate."

* * *

Stacie and Chloe were going to work the summer at Camp Barden. That place had been in their lives as long as they could remember. Well not that long, but still. They had to be at camp a week earlier than Emily who was excited to start her Counselor-In-Training. "It's not going to be the same without you Becs," the young CIT said.

"You'll do a great job," Beca laughed as she chucked her tall friend on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you for staying with this leadership gig Ems."

"I'm getting good experience. My school counselor says it will look good on my college applications. Plus, it's an awesome summer job."

Beca helped her tall friend unload her belongings and cart them to the CIT unit. They were surprised to see Stacie as one of the counselors in the unit. "Hey Legs! Looking good." Beca called out. "Ready for the summer?"

"Yup. I hope you haven't been corrupting my CIT there?"

They visited for a while before Beca went off to find Chloe's unit. Her girlfriend was visiting with some campers and missed Beca coming into the unit. The brunette snuck into her cabin and found Dot sitting on her cot. Beca chuckled when she saw Chloe's same ladybug bedding. The beanie baby blended right in. She snuck Lil Red and Toad out of her bag and placed them on either side of Dot. "Take good care of mama's girlfriend, kids." As Beca turned to leave, she smiled when she saw the box she had given Chloe for graduation nestled on the shelving unit.

She turned to leave and as she went out the screen door, flat-out ran into the redheaded counselor. Beca grabbed onto Chloe's elbow, catching her before she flew off the steps. "Easy there, Ladybug. Watch where you are going," she teased.

After Chloe got over her initial surprise, she gave Beca a brief hug. "Beca! I didn't know you were coming today. Don't you know that the counselors' hut is off limits?" She couldn't help teasing the former camper.

Beca grinned. "Some peeps wanted to see you." She motioned with her thumb over her shoulder.

Chloe stood on her tiptoes to see over Beca and squealed when she saw Toad and Lil Red. "OMG, seriously?"

"Yeah," Beca responded sheepishly. "They claimed camp was  _much more exciting than open mic_." They both laughed. "Anyway, I know you are busy. I just came to drop the kids off."

Chloe walked her girlfriend to the edge of the unit before giving her an innocent wave goodbye. Not kissing her or at least telling her she loved her felt odd, but she knew that couldn't happen. They had pushed things the previous summer sneaking around like they did. She hadn't told Beca she'd gotten a schedule of several of her 24-off days. She'd asked to have as many as possible over Thursday nights as could be. Since Pitch was the assistant camp director in charge, of course Chloe got what she asked for.

* * *

The next week, Beca started the songwriting class at the community college the following week. There were two short terms during the summer. The first one was simply called "Songwriting 101" while the second was "Songwriting: Lyrics and Melody". While Beca felt she could probably skip the first, it was a course requirement for the second. Plus, when she to take the music route when she went to college next year, both classes were transferrable. Classes were held Monday and Wednesday from noon to two.

During the first class as she looked over the syllabus, she was excited to learn she had the option of recording her class project in the college recording studio at the end of the year. She could use the course to create new works as well as to polish some of her favorites and even get some studio time to boot.

She felt awkward going to the community college while still in high school, but she wanted to improve her songwriting and determined this was the best way to go. Also, she could get additional exposure to different genres of music through her classmates.

While Chloe couldn't come every week, she made a fair number of open mics throughout the summer. Beca felt spoiled getting to see her girlfriend on a more regular basis which seemed to be drawing them closer together as a couple. She knew things would get more complicated once Chloe started college, but their strong foundation was growing more stable.

Streaming the open mic live every week brought a great deal of visibility to the Apache Café. Beca and Lisa were trying to come up with ideas to keep the mix of artists eclectic and fresh. They finally decided to allow artists to sign up online but to reserve fifteen percent of the slots for musicians who had never performed before. These would be people who sign up the day of.

"Have you thought of expanding to another night Lisa?" Beca was setting up the laptop which was used to track musicians and sign ups at the front door. The program she used also tracked the order of acts which made it easier to upload the separate performances.

"I can't duplicate you Beca. And I don't think this can run without you."

The two discussed running a smaller open mic on Fridays. Beca could use the summer to train someone but would continue to take care of the YouTube site uploads. "I'm taking a song writing class this summer. I can ask around if any of my classmates would be interested in the gig. And you can post Help Wanted signs in here as well."

As the summer progressed, Beca found herself getting busier and busier. She was thankful to have a helper for Friday night open mics. The additional night seemed to ease the flow of musicians clamoring to get on the bill for Thursday. She realized that the draw was not only the crowd, but also the live streaming and YouTube channel. Exposure was everything to unknown artists.

* * *

All too soon, summer camp had wrapped up for the year. Before her friends headed back to their part of town, Chloe, Stacie, and Emily headed to see Beca. Beca reserved a table right up front for them, where Chloe sat every time she was in town. While the counselors and the CIT had been at the same camp all summer, they hadn't spent a lot of time together and were having a good time catching up with each other and with Beca.

The tiny open mic hostess was pushing them to stay through Saturday. "There's this cool over-under club with dope music. The DJ is a guy in my class. I go there sometimes and hang out. I know I could get you in Emily. None of us are old enough to drink anyway."

Saturday afternoon, Beca got a text from her DJ pal. When she called him, she could barely hear him but understood enough to know he needed help. After disconnecting her phone, she pulled out a handful of her mash-up USB drives and tossed them next to her computer.

Chloe came up behind her and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck. "Come play with us babe." She nibbled on Beca's earlobe causing shivers to crawl down Beca's arm.

She shrugged away the feeling and stuck a USB into the port. "Jason called. He's super sick and wanted to know if I could cover for him tonight at the club."

The redhead stuck out her lower lip and pouted. "But I wanted to dance with you."

Beca grinned. "That's the joy of it. I have these mashups done already. I need to pull together three hours of music and edit out the gaps. Viola – dance music. He said he didn't care if I wasn't spinning live as long as good music was on the floor."

All three friends huddled around Beca's equipment excitedly making suggestions. It didn't take long for Beca to have several hours of continuous music she thought would make Jason proud.

* * *

When Chloe moved into the dorms at Barden, Beca made sure to show up. Her girlfriend and Stacie had different majors and weren't living in the same building although they were close. After getting her things unpacked, Chloe and Beca walked around the activities fair at the quad. They ran into Aubrey at the Barden Bella's table where she was recruiting for singers to join acapella auditions.

"You know I'll be there," chirped Chloe. "I'll take an extra flyer for Stacie. If we can get her nose out of her books, she'd make a good addition, too."

Beca felt something shifting between her and Chloe by leaving her girlfriend at Barden University. Chloe was moving into a new phase in her life, one that Beca hoped included her. While Chloe wasn't acting different, the feeling was something the brunette couldn't shake. She had a "going to college" present for the redhead which she had wrapped up in a nice little box with ladybug ribbon. Beca slipped it under Chloe's pillow right before it was time to say goodbye.

The brunette took a bit longer than normal to say goodbye to her girlfriend. She held Chloe's face in her hands, stroking her cheeks with her thumbs. Pulling the redhead's forehead to hers, she whispered, "I love you Chloe Beale." Beca pressed a soft kiss against Chloe's lips.

"You look like you are about to cry Becs." At least Chloe had noticed something was wrong.

Beca shook it off as she responded. "Naw, it's just that my baby is all grown up now."

Giggling, Chloe swatted Beca's chest.

* * *

Things started out great at the beginning. The couple continued as they had the previous school year with their Skype dates and short visits. As time went on, the time in between calls and visits seemed to get longer and longer. Two months in and Beca was curious as to why her girlfriend had never mentioned the gift she left her on moving in day. She'd worked hard on that present, and she wouldn't be honest if she said her feelings weren't a bit hurt.

"I don't know what's happening between us Stacie." Beca was feeling particularly mopey and had called her friend. "It's like I don't know her anymore. She's not even Chloe."

"Things are different here Beca. I know we are only one year removed but it's hard to explain."

"I took a song writing class this summer, two of them. We got actual studio time to record our final exams. These songs – are amazing. I worked my ass off on them."

Stacie asked which they were and was going to go to Beca's YouTube channel to find them.

"That's just it. I haven't sung them at open mic yet. I left Chloe a present on move-in day. I wanted her to be the first to hear them. But she hasn't said anything. It's been two months. Did she not like them?"

"Hold your horses there Beca. Are you sure she even got them? Listened to them?"

"I left the box under her pillow."

"Let me investigate. Hang in there, bud. We'll get to the bottom of this."

* * *

"Oh my god Stacie. Where did you find this?" Chloe examined the wrapped box as threw herself down on the bed in her dorm room.

"On the floor under your bed. Beca called me. She said you are pulling away from her." Chloe started to interrupt with excuses of class, homework, and Bellas practice (and parties) but Stacie stopped her. "She seemed more upset that you hadn't mentioned this present she left you on move-in day."

Chloe unwrapped the box to find a USB stick. "Mashups?" She wrinkled up her nose. She had lots of Beca's mashups.

"No Choe. Her final exam for her two classes this summer. She got studio time to record her two songs."

She popped the drive into her computer and cued up a song.

 _I'm a sucker for you_  
_You say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly_  
_I'm a sucker for you, yeah  
_ _Any road you take, you know that you'll find me_

 _I'm a sucker for all the subliminal things_  
_No one knows about you (about you) about you (about you)_  
_And you're making the typical me break my typical rules  
_ _It's true, I'm a sucker for you, yeah_

By the time the song had finished, Chloe had tears streaking her face. "Stacie, I've never heard that song." Stacie explained that Beca wanted her to hear it first before she put it out in front of the open mic crowd. Chloe buried her face in her hands. "What kind of monster am I? She probably hates me. She left this for me two months ago?"

Stacie nodded. "But Chloe, I don't think she hates you. She's just confused. Maybe you two need to take a weekend and reconnect. Invite her up this weekend. I don't think she's been here since move-in day. She needs to know you love her Chloe – that you haven't forgotten about her."

"But tonight is the …"

"Chloe…" Stacie interrupted. "What's more important? Some college party – or Beca?"

* * *

After taking a long time to decide what to say to Beca, Chloe called her girlfriend and admitted to having lost the present under her bed. "Good news is that I found it. Becs, those songs are amazing." Beca could feel the warmth rising in her chest again – warmth that had been missing for so long. When Chloe invited her to visit that weekend "to experience college life," Beca had hopes that things were turning back around for them. As soon as classes were done on Friday, Beca headed directly to Barden.

The brunette got a guest parking pass and parked in the lot Chloe had directed her to. She texted her girlfriend and let her know she was there. Beca got out of the car to stretch her legs after the long drive when she was suddenly attacked from behind by a blur of red hair.

"Beca!" Chloe wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and pressed their lips together, kissing her solidly.

"Hey, hold on there." Beca backed up a bit and looked around.

"Don't have to worry about anything here Becs. You know that. Liberal education at its best. I'm so tickled you are here."

Beca grabbed her small duffle and they headed up to Chloe's dorm room. "My roommate is gone this weekend, so we have the place to ourselves." She winked at Beca who approached her for a much deeper and more meaningful kiss. Chloe began to systematically strip their clothing off as she walked Beca to her bed. "I've missed you Beca. Sorry I've been such a shitty girlfriend."

"Shhhh I'm here now Chlo. That's all that matters."

The two spent all Friday night and the better part of Saturday morning making up for time missed before. Then Chloe announced that they were supposed to meet Stacie and Aubrey at eleven for an early lunch. "If that's okay with you babe."

Beca drew designs on Chloe's bare shoulder. "Mmm. Long as I'm with you."

Chloe got up, wrapping a sheet around her. "And tonight, there's a party over on frat row." Beca just smiled at her girlfriend, delighted they were together, and she was feeling better about their relationship. "We have communal showers here, and since I don't trust you to keep your hands to yourself, I'll go first."

"Me?" Beca looked shocked. "Aren't you the one who busted into my shower at camp?"

* * *

The frat party wasn't as much fun as Beca had imagined. She wasn't much of a drinker and didn't enjoy seeing how much booze Chloe put down. The brunette had never had much of a place in her life for jealousy where Chloe was concerned. No situations had ever arisen in which Beca didn't trust her girlfriend completely. However seeing the attention the redhead gave to people at the party – both men and women – bothered her. Especially because Chloe was effectively ignoring her.

The drinking got to the point where Beca was uncomfortable. Despite the evening being early, she decided to go back to the dorm. She saw Chloe across the lawn and walked up behind her to let her know she was leaving. Then stopped as she heard the conversation.

"Who's the kid in a tank top and flannel shirt?" Beca's ears alerted her to the fact they were probably referring to her.  _Kid? I'm only a year younger than most of them._  "Some high school senior who crashed the party probably." Beca kept waiting for Chloe to come to her defense but the red head said nothing. One guy laughed as he threw his arm around Chloe. "Those ear monstrosities need to go." Her girlfriend slapped the guy's chest as she laughed along with them and leaned into him.

By now Beca was seeing red and had no intention of letting Chloe know she was leaving nor of going back to the dorm. She couldn't drive home since her mom wasn't expecting her home, so she decided to just get a hotel room. As she stomped towards the dorm to get her bag, she heard Stacie calling out after her.

"Bec, Becs, wait." She gently grasped her friend's arm.

Beca jerked away. "No Stacie. I won't wait. Chloe's just fine." She waved towards the redhead who was still standing with the group of men flirting away. "She doesn't need me. And I sure don't need her. Please stay out of it. Okay. I don't want this interfere with your friendship."

"Fuck, I knew Aubrey or I should have kept a closer eye on Chloe Becs."

Beca glared at her. "You mean, she always acts like this? Like she's  _single?_ "

"But then she starts whining about how much she misses you when we are toting her back to the dorm."

Beca scoffed as she turned away. "Thanks for letting me know Stace. Just leave me alone, okay?"

Stacie stood still as her friend walked away not seeing the tears spilling down the younger girl's face. "Don't disappear on me Becs," Stacie called after her. All Beca did was reach up and use the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away the tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurry! Send your comments before Bechloe blows up. 💣


	18. Music: Harm or Heal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skip to the end for trigger warning spoiler if you have a tendency towards triggers.

"Beccccccaaaaaaaaa, Beca! Nwhere are uu nbaby i neeeeed ydou. M theaded to ihte ardom." Chloe stumbled left then right. Stacie was tempted to frog march her back to the dorm but simply held one elbow as Aubrey held the other. The tall brunette wondered what they'd find when they got to Chloe's room. As furious and upset as Beca was, she was probably long gone.

When Aubrey unlocked the door, Stacie saw the roommate's key on the lanyard laying on the floor next to the door. Apparently Beca had kicked it beneath the gap after locking up. She hadn't left a note or anything. Stacie and Aubrey both struggled to get Chloe into her pajamas and tucked into bed. Aubrey left a bottle of water and some ibuprofen on the bedside table. They, too, locked up and slid the key under the door.

* * *

Beca found a hotel far enough away from the university to keep her from being tempted to going back in the morning. She sent Aubrey and Stacie a quick message to let them know she was safe and would contact them when she felt better about things. She then turned off her phone to stave off the onslaught of messages she knew she'd probably wake up to in the morning.

Drawing the room's black out curtains closed tightly, Beca crawled into bed and tried to get some rest. She curled up in a little ball, knees tucked under her chin. The words said by the guys at the party kept echoing in her mind. Plus, all she could see was her girlfriend laughing at what they were saying. And flirting. The Friday night before must have been only a dream. What a funny world in which we live when such an amazing evening can be followed by one full of pain and heartbreak. She tossed and turned deep into the night until she finally fell into a restless sleep.

When Beca woke up, the blackout curtains kept her from judging the time of day. She didn't dare turn on her phone and the digital clocks in these hotel rooms were never right. She called down to the front desk and learned it was eleven in the morning. No wonder her stomach was growling. She asked if she could have an extended check-out to give her time to shower and clean up without having to rush.

Beca finally decided to bite the bullet and power on her phone and went to take a long, scorching hot shower while the messages rolled in. Once she was clean and refreshed, she looked at her phone. Several messages were from Aubrey and Stacie checking on her. But Chloe – Chloe had blown up her phone. The texts started at three am, a good four hours after Beca left the party which told Beca her girlfriend (ex-girlfriend?) hadn't even missed her absence. None of those texts made much sense.

Chloe had started messaging again around eight, apparently when she woke up and realized Beca wasn't next to her. Then the voicemails started. The brunette wasn't even tempted to read the transcripts more or less to hear Chloe's voice. She imagined Chloe's voice would be panicked, not understanding why Beca was missing. And Beca wasn't in the mood.

When her phone rang, she assumed it was Chloe and ignored the call. Then the call came through again, she looked at the display. Emily. Stacie must have called her.

"Hey Ems."

Emily's voice was soft, quiet. "Beca? You okay?"

"No."

"Stacie asked if I would call you, see how you were doing. What's going on?"

"Chloe and I broke up." Emily gasped. "Well not officially, but I'm done. Hang on." Housekeeping was at the door. Beca went to let them know she had a late check-out but would be out by one. She came back to the bed and propped herself up on the pillows before picking her phone back up.

"Beca? Where are you?"

"A hotel by Barden. Chloe and I haven't been doing so hot. When she invited me to visit this weekend, I was pumped. Friday night and Saturday were great. Then… we went to this frat party." Beca ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "Chloe ignored me. She was drinking like a fish, flirting with everyone but me. Then some guys she was standing with were talking shit about me. She didn't even stand up for me."

Emily slapped her hand over her mouth, very much in shock at what she was hearing. "Was it because she'd been drinking?"

"Who cares why Ems? I've always heard alcohol brings out someone's true nature. Plus, Stacie didn't seem shocked at how Chloe was acting which tells me this behavior isn't new." As hard as she fought her emotions, Beca started crying again. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. Emily – I love her. But this Chloe… she's not  _my_  Chloe."

"Talk to her Beca. Go back to her dorm and tell her how you feel."

"Emily here's the issue. After the problems we were having before and what I saw last night, I don't think I can trust her. She threw everything away, threw  _me_  away. I don't feel I have a place in her life anymore."

They talked a bit longer with Emily trying to put different spins on the situation. Once Chloe and Beca had gotten over their dislike of each other at camp, they made an adorable couple. Emily hated to see them break up. But she supported Beca's decision regardless.

* * *

Aubrey, Stacie, and Chloe had met at the diner for their normal Sunday hangover breakfast. "I don't understand Aubrey. She's gone and not answering my calls or messages. What did I do?"

Stacie and Aubrey looked at each other. "Chloe, you know we both love you. But we've told you what you are like when you drink. Overly flirty and all." Stacie was trying to hold in her anger. She adored Chloe, but Beca was important to her as well.

"Beca knows I would never cheat on her."

Aubrey placed her hand on the redhead's arm. "Chloe, you do know you ignored Beca the entire time she was at the party, don't you? All she saw was you hanging on the same men and women you always do. You can't blame her for feeling jealous and left out."

"There's more Chlo." Stacie decided to tell Chloe the final blow. "There was a group of guys you were talking to. They were bad mouthing Beca, making fun of how she was dressed and her gauges. She heard what they were saying, and you didn't bother standing up for her. In fact, you were laughing along with them. Of course, she left. She's hurt. You were a total jerk last night. You don't deserve her – not right now."

A little more hungover than usual, Chloe laid her head on the table. "I can't handle this. I just can't."

* * *

After Chloe had completely sobered up and thought about the party as well as how things had been going between them recently, she tried Beca a few more times – both calls and text messages. She tried not to beg, just to leave sincere apologies in hopes that her girlfriend would get back with her.

Eventually Chloe realized Beca wasn't going to return any calls or messages while she was still upset. She decided to give her a few days before renewing efforts. Not hearing from her girlfriend was stressful, but she knew she had brought it on herself. Chloe arranged for flowers to be delivered to the Apache Café for open mic on Thursday. She took her time in composing another short but meaningful apology for the card. The redhead hoped this would help break the ice.

Chloe was antsy as she studied her watch, waiting for the time the flowers were supposed to be delivered. About an hour after that time, right before the open mic was going to begin, Chloe received a text. Beca. Her heart began to race since this was the first message she'd received since Friday afternoon, almost a week ago. She held her breath as she unlocked her phone and opened the text.

Beca had sent no words, only a picture of the beautiful bouquet dumped in a trashcan. Several of the flowers had been ripped from the stems and the card torn to shreds.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Chloe became increasingly despondent. She had given up on trying to get in touch with Beca. The messages she sent weren't being read, and she had a strong feeling Beca wasn't listening to the voicemails either. The only time she got to feel anywhere close to Beca was on Thursdays during the live open mic. She watched each episode religiously then watched Beca's individual performances again and again once they were uploaded to YouTube.

One of the things which was clearly evident to not only Chloe but also to everyone who attended the open mics was the change in direction of Beca's song writing. While they used to be upbeat and happy with Beca singing them with heartfelt soul and a smile on her face, the songs changed to more downhearted. The brunette still sang her music with deep soul and put her whole self into the songs, but her slide into a different type of song was evident.

Emily was the only camp buddy Beca would have any contact with. While she was over being upset with Stacie, she wanted Stacie to concentrate on looking out for Chloe. Beca didn't feel it was fair for Stacie to be stuck in the middle between them. Plus, she didn't really want to be able to ask how Chloe was doing. She knew Emily and Stacie probably communicated a lot, but as long as Beca was once removed, she was okay with that.

The former couple spent the holidays away from each other. Emily had gotten her driver's license and came to spend New Year's Eve with Beca. They didn't do much but go to a public party in the park, but Beca enjoyed having someone else around to keep her from being so lonely. Beca hadn't spoken to Chloe in over two months, and despite the ache in her chest, Beca couldn't get past the hurt from that single night at Barden University.

Emily was excited that there was an open mic she would get to attend before headed home to start the Spring semester. Beca was debuting a new song, too, but wouldn't share it ahead of time. "I'm impressed at your new and improved set up Becs." Emily had gone to help get everything ready for the full house which would start arriving soon. "I've been working hard on my guitar like you taught me. Maybe one day, I'll be good enough to sing here."

Beca scoffed. "You are good enough to sing here  _now_  Ems. Get a song ready for next time you come visit. I'll get you a slot." She grinned at her younger friend realizing how much the camp leadership classes had brought her out of her shell. She'd come a long way from the shy, awkward camper she'd met a few summers ago. "Now come here. I'm really going to put you to work." She showed Emily how to work the door so that Emily would take the gas money she wanted to give her for visiting.

* * *

Beca walked up and arranged the mic just right before flipping on the sound. "Okay everyone, we are going live in 3-2-1 now." She pressed the remote and verified the indicator on the camcorder was the right color to be broadcasting. "Hey everyone. Welcome to this week's Thursday edition of the Apache Café's open mic series. I'm your hostess Beca Mitchell and boy do we have a great line up of artists tonight! Many of the faces will be familiar as well as the new musicians we always like to bring to you. Without further ado, I'd like to start us off with a new song I like to call  _Drive_."

She slid the mic over to an electronic keyboard and began to play. Her mellow voice then started with the lyrics.

_Sat back with the window down_  
_Eighty an hour and the radio loud_  
_The same songs with the same old rhymes  
_ _Tell me to shake it off and swing from the lights_

_But I can't help but drive away from all the mess you made_  
_You sent this hurricane, now it won't go away_  
_And I promised I'd be there, but you don't make it easy  
_ _Darling, please believe me_

_Loving you, loving you is too hard  
_ _All I do, all I do is not enough_

Beca's eyes were closed as she sang, and everyone in the café was quiet. The hostess' latest songs had been deep lately and serious. The longer she sang, the more shocked Emily became. Apparently Beca was trying to make things clear that she didn't want anything to do with Chloe.

_See, I remember all the times you made me covered in crazy_  
_I can't forget about the way you played me_  
_Like I was never gonna change your world_  
_It ended long ago, so please just let me go  
_ _It ended long ago, so please just let me go_

_Loving you, loving you is too hard_  
_All I do, all I do is not enough_  


_Loving you, loving you_  
_I cannot be loving you, loving you_  
_Loving you, loving you leaves me hurt  
_ _All I do, all I do is get burned_

_Loving you, loving you  
_ _I cannot be loving you, loving you_

* * *

Chloe had her eyes glued on the iPad as she watched the first song of the live open mic play. She couldn't help the tears which began to stream down her face as the lyrics sank in. She shut off her device and grabbed her jacket. If she left now, she could be at the café within the hour. If she showed up, Beca had to see her. There was no way around it. She sent a quick text to Stacie and Aubrey letting them know where she was going and took off towards Apache Café and Beca.

When Stacie saw the text, she immediately called Aubrey. "We can't let her go there. Beca will go ballistic if Chloe shows up at her job. We need to stop her." Aubrey said she'd was on her way to pick up Stacie, and Stacie was going to warn Beca the redhead was headed her way. It was the least she could do for her friend. Stacie knew Emily was there and sent a text to them both letting them know.

Between songs, Emily read the message from Stacie and tried to quietly get to Beca to let her know. Beca knew something like this might happened and had let Lisa know that she didn't want Chloe coming into the café. "Will you hang out by the door Ems? Keep her out. Please? Lisa will send a server to back you up if you want."

Emily promised she'd take care of things and went to lean up against the glass by the door. She hadn't talked to Chloe since everything blew between the couple, but she'd do anything for Beca. Even if it meant keeping Chloe out of the café.

* * *

Aubrey and Stacie pulled up in the lot. Aubrey spotted Chloe's car as they rushed towards the door. When they got there, they saw Emily towering over Chloe with an arm across the doorway and a hand on her shoulder. A server was standing beside Emily as back up.

"What do you mean I can't come in?" Chloe was obviously panicking from what Emily had told her.

"Beca knew you'd probably try to come after her opening song and asked Lisa to ban you for tonight. She is working and needs to concentrate. This is her job Chlo." The sixteen-year-old was obviously stressed having to be the bearer of bad news. She wrapped her arms around the redhead. "I'm sorry Chloe."

"We are at capacity anyway. Fire marshal regulations and all." the server said. When he saw the other two friends arrive and was sure Emily had the situation under control, he returned to check on his tables.

Aubrey pulled her desperate, crying friend into her. "I know you are hurting Chloe. But if Beca doesn't want to see you, you can't force her. Why don't you let me take you home? Stacie can drive your car back." Aubrey got the redhead's keys from her purse and tossed them to Stacie.

"I'm sorry Chloe." Emily gave her friend one final hug before Aubrey scooted the Chloe off to take her back to campus.

Emily wilted back against the building, stress pouring off her. When Stacie pulled her close, she melted into her. "I hated doing that Stace, but Beca asked me to. This sucks – having a Team Beca and a Team Chloe. I miss them being together."

"Me, too. Speaking of, how is Team Beca?"

The younger girl blew out a breath. "Did you hear her opening song?" Stacie shook her head. "Rough. I don't know how she made it through. But her intentions are clear. She's more than done with the relationship. Why don't you come in? I'm sure she'd like to see you despite everything."

"I thought you guys were full."

"Naw, that was just Mike coming up with another excuse to keep Chloe out. I think he's afraid of Beca," she laughed.

Stacie and Emily found a table in a dark corner and listened to the rest of the musicians as well as Beca closing out the night with one of her not-so-dark selections. "I haven't come to many of these," Stacie said as some of the patrons readied to leave while others nursed their coffee and finished their food. "If Beca will let me, I may make the short drive over here more often."

Emily pulled Stacie over to where Beca was packing up the recording and sound equipment and prodded her to say something. "Hey Shortstack." Stacie wasn't quite sure how her friend would react.

Beca flashed a sad smile but gave her friend a hug anyway. "Hey yourself. Long time, no see."

"Just respecting your wishes bud. Miss you."

"Miss you, too."

Emily took over with the equipment so Beca and Stacie could catch up. They ordered coffees and sat at one of the empty tables. "I've been watching your music. Or is it listening? You are pretty talented Beca, and I'm not just saying that because you're my friend." They visited about Beca's classes this summer and how her instructor encouraged her to dip her toes into the market to see the reaction.

"I'm hosting a special open mic in a few weeks for musicians who have taken songwriting classes at the community college since last summer. My instructor is promoting the engagement. Musicians who sign up will have recorded at least one demo in the studio and will leave a copy here at the café. I think the instructor is going to invite some local promoters to listen."

"That's awesome Becs. I'll make sure to tune in."

The pair visited a bit longer before Beca had to get back to clearing the café for the evening. Stacie said her goodbyes to Emily and Beca and returned to Barden.

"Thanks for what you did tonight Emily. I should have warned you ahead of time that may happen. I appreciate you."

"Team Beca," Emily responded half-heartedly. Beca may have made up her mind, but Emily was still upset with the entire ordeal.

* * *

Beca's final semester of high school was full of activities to keep her busy. Beca had taken on helping Jason dee-jaying at the over-under club. She took a regular shift on Saturdays and worked periodically whenever she was needed. As she got used to spinning live, her skills quickly improved with not only her DJ work but also her mashups. She had such an ear for music that she was gaining quite a following as a DJ as well.

Several of the promoters who had shown up to the special open mic had expressed interest in working with Beca on some of the songs they had heard. She was so overwhelmed with everything that she asked them to let her process and she'd get back with them. When they found out she was still in high school, they encouraged her to continue to hone her craft but to not wait too long before getting in touch.

She had decided on a music-based major but hadn't yet committed to a school. She had been accepted to Barden University and another college in a neighboring state. She wanted to take time to compare the options at each school and talk to her counselor about each choice. In the back of her mind, she was well aware that if she chose Barden, Chloe would be there three of those years. What she hadn't decided was if that was a good or a bad thing.

Beca's mom tried to get her to take a big celebratory trip for her senior Spring Break. The tiny about-to-be-graduate didn't really have a destination in mind, so she decided to hang out at home and work on her own music. A relaxing week without the pressures of schoolwork sounded better than a vacation.

A few days into Spring Break an alert came across Beca's phone that a video had been uploaded to her YouTube. "What the fu…?" She snatched her phone up, but before she could see who had hacked into her account, a series of texts from Emily came in and covered the YouTube alert.

* * *

**[From Emily:** If you are wondering about the YouTube, it's me.]  
**[From Emily:** I'm sorry in advance, but I thought you needed to see this. And hear it.]  
**[From Emily:** She wrote the lyrics. I provided the music.]  
**[From Emily:** I will delete it if you want]  
**[From Emily:** But please… watch]

Beca could tell her friend was rambling and couldn't decide if she was angry or anxious. She felt as though the s _he_  Emily spoke about was Chloe. She knew Emily would not betray her trust without good reason and must feel strongly about the video she uploaded.

 **[From Beca:** It's okay Ems. Don't delete it]  
**[From Beca:** Watching now]

She took several deep breaths and released them to release tension before playing the video. Beca pressed the arrow on the video and watched as Emily settled herself on a stool behind some open space with her uncle's guitar. She nodded to someone off stage, and Chloe walked up to start singing. As soon as Beca saw the redhead, she paused the video. Her former girlfriend looked like a ghost of her former self. She was thin, gaunt to be precise as if there was no meat on her body whatsoever. Her shoulders protruded out of the sundress she had on like sticks from a dead tree. Chloe's hair was dull and looked straw-like, eyes glassy. This woman on camera was  _not_  her Chloe Beale. Beca pressed play again.

Emily started a simple guitar chord that continued through the song as Chloe sang.

_I won't tell you I'm lonely_  
_'Cause it might be selfish_  
_I won't ask you to hold me_  
_'Cause that won't mend what's helpless_  


_There's not a thing I could say_  
_Not a song I could sing_  
_For your mind to change_  
_Nothing can fill up the space  
_ _Won't ask you to stay_

_But let me ask you one thing_  
_Oh, when did you fall out of love?_  
_Out of love  
_ _Oh, when did you fall out of love with me?_

Beca watched the video several times, her heart breaking. Not only at the lyrics but at how Chloe looked. She had no idea things had gotten so bad with her ex-girlfriend.

 **[From Beca:** Take it down Ems]  
**[From Beca:** I don't want anyone seeing Chloe like that]  
**[From Beca:** Take it down but send me the vid]  
**[From Beca:** Please]

The high school senior's heart was shattering all over again. She knew she loved Chloe but had spent most of this school year thinking she didn't have a place in Chloe's life. Seeing this, she needed to re-evaluate everything. What hit her the hardest is the physical toll the situation had put on Chloe. Neither Stacie nor Aubrey had let her know. Then again, she'd asked them to leave her along and be there for Chloe. But Emily didn't either. She had to have been working with Chloe to collaborate on this song.

 **[From Beca:** Can you talk?]  
**[From Emily:** Yeah]

Beca called to find out if Chloe was as bad as she looked. Emily let her know that this week was the first time she had seen Chloe since the incident at the café. And yes, Chloe was in bad shape. The redhead had made her promise to not contact Beca because she wanted to finish the song. They talked a while, Beca trying to process her feelings with her friend. She continuously reassured Emily that she wasn't upset with her friend, and thanked her for helping Chloe with the song.

"I gotta go Ems. Thanks. Ummm I have an idea. I'll let you know what's up."

* * *

Beca buried herself in her room and barely came out for meals and then only on her mom's insistence. She only had three more days to finish this song and polish it enough for it to be ready to play on Thursday. Her emotions were running high which fueled her energy to work nearly non-stop.

She also messaged Lisa and the guy they had running the Friday open mics. If everything went as planned, she needed him to take over hosting responsibilities after her first song. Because she (or Emily probably) would still be doing the YouTube, she promised him half the door which was what he was getting on Fridays anyway.

Beca then called Stacie. "Ummm hi Stace." She felt awkward calling her friend for a favor when she had effectively ignored her ever since the incident with Chloe at the frat party. "Are you doing cool stuff for Spring Break?" She was fishing as innocently as possible to see if her friend was in town.

"Nope. Aubrey and I are hanging out at school this break. Chloe hasn't exactly been doing well lately." Beca had a feeling she knew some of what was going on but asked Stacie to tell her a bit more. "She quit drinking since that night of the frat party. But lately she's also quit eating. She's slid into this deep depression. Aubrey and I have been doing everything we can to keep her mom from pulling her out of school."

"Emily sent me a video of a song Chloe wrote and sang. Ems did the music." Stacie hadn't realized they were doing this, so Beca forwarded the video. "Call me back after you watch it." Beca disconnected and nervously waited for her phone to ring again.

"Damn Beca, I'm sorry you had to see her like that."

"That's not all Stacie. That song… it was incredible." Beca sighed. "I screwed up. I should have given her another chance, at least listened to her."

"Nobody is faulting you for this Becs. Do you love her?"

"With all my heart. Seeing that video made me realize that. I want her back. Do you think you and Aubrey can get her here Thursday? In time for my opening the show?"

"Of course, Becs. It's not like she can fight us. There's nothing left of her."

"I have been working on something. I wanted to make sure I could finish it before I called you. Oh, and don't let her know. I don't want her to find a way to duck out of this. I'm not working the whole night – just the first song."

After talking with Stacie a bit longer, Beca hung up feeling considerably lighter. She'd kept herself so busy that she hadn't realized how much she'd missed Chloe. She could only hope this worked.

* * *

The café was swiftly filling up with musicians and their associates. Beca kept glancing over to the table she had reserved for her friends. Her nerves were on edge because it was almost time to start and they hadn't shown up. She could feel her hands shaking as butterflies flitted around her stomach. She decided to just go with her normal routine.

She walked up and arranged the mic just right before flipping on the sound. "Okay everyone, we are going live in 3-2-1 now." She pressed the remote and verified they were indeed live. She glanced over to the reserved table one more time and saw all her friends: Emily, Stacie, and Aubrey were there. And Chloe. She flashed a smile in their direction, her body instantly relaxing. She could do this.

"Hey everyone. Welcome to this week's Thursday edition of the Apache Café's open mic series. I'm your hostess Beca Mitchell and we have another great line up of artists tonight! As always, you will see familiar faces mixed in with the new musicians we always like to bring to you. Thanks for joining us – both in person and online. Without further ado, I'd like to start us off with yet another new song I like to call  _Still Falling For You_. It goes out to a special someone in the audience. I think you know who you are."

She slipped the capo on the neck of her guitar to get a different key. And moved forward to the mic.

_Fire and ice_  
_This love is like fire and ice_  
_This love is like rain and blue skies_  
_This love is like sun on the rise_  
_This love got me rolling the dice_  


_Don't let me lose_  
_Still falling for you  
_ _Still falling for you_

_Beautiful mind_  
_Your heart got a story with mine_  
_Your heart got me hurting at times_  
_Your heart gave me new kind of highs  
_ _Your heart got me feeling so fine_

_So what to do_  
_Still falling for you  
_ _Still falling for you_

_It took us a while_  
_With every breath a new day_  
_With love on the line  
_ _We've had our share of mistakes_

_But all your flaws and scars are mine_  
_Still falling for you  
_ _Still falling for you_

Normally Beca looked down or closed her eyes when she sang. But for this song, her eyes were locked firmly on Chloe's. At first the redhead seemed uncomfortable to be there but the longer Beca sang, the more Chloe seemed to relax into the music, the lyrics. Once the entire song was finished, Chloe's table was the first on their feet quickly followed by the rest of the audience, clapping like crazy.

Beca quickly turned the hosting duties over to her partner and hurried to the table. She quickly greeted her friends then grabbed Chloe's hand. "Come on Chlo. Let's go back to the office where we can talk." Chloe latched on to Beca's arm and wasn't letting go. Once they got into the back office, Chloe threw her arms around Beca and hugged her with all her might which was surprisingly strong due to the muscle mass she had lost. She was sobbing so hard she could barely talk.

They sat on the office couch, and Beca tried calm the redhead down by soothing her. "It's okay Chloe. I'm right here. It's okay."

"I'm so sorry Becs. I've missed you so much." Chloe began repeating how sorry she was over and over.

Beca took her hands and gently held Chloe's face. "Hey Chlo, no apologies. I missed you, too. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Promise."

Finally, Chloe was calm enough to form regular sentences, but crying so hard had given her the hiccups. Her eyes were swollen and her face tear streaked. Beca got some damp paper towels to try to cool her down a bit as well as a bottle of water. When she went to talk and was interrupted by a hiccup, she would give an embarrassed giggle. Beca was thankful that Chloe was able to see humor in the situation and laugh a bit.

When Chloe apologized again, Beca pulled her face in for an innocent kiss. "We aren't going to talk about this right now. What's important is that you are here. I am here. And neither of us is going anywhere." She did what she felt the redhead needed most - wrapped her arms around Chloe and held her. "Stacie packed you a bag. Would you like to stay the weekend? I can take you back to Barden in time for classes on Sunday."

Chloe looked nervous at this and thought for quite some time. "You don't have to Chloe. I just thought we could have some time together to talk and sort through things. I understand if you would rather go back to the dorms." Chloe shook her head and said she'd stay. "I've cleared my schedule, so I'm all yours." Another small smile crept onto Chloe's face. "And I mean that babe. I'm. All. Yours."

Beca texted their friends to meet them in front of the café as she and Chloe went out the back. The weather was chilly, and she'd wrapped her leather jacket around Chloe's shoulders. Beca knew from talking to Stacie that she might have to help Chloe walk and getting Chloe to eat would be near impossible. She supported the redhead as best she could without making the situation obvious. After everyone said their goodbyes, Beca gently guided Chloe to her car and headed home.

* * *

Before going to work Beca had talked to her mom briefly about Chloe – about why they had broken up, Chloe's apparent eating issues, and how Chloe might be staying the rest of the weekend why they try to patch things up. There were no surprises when Beca's mom didn't try to hug Chloe or ask about her appearance. She simply told her how good it was to see her and that she was always welcome to stay.

In hopes Chloe would stay, Beca had gotten a mini fridge for her room. She stocked it with water, juice, clear sodas like 7-Up, applesauce, and even Ensure. In the refrigerator downstairs she made sure she had milk as well as fruits and ice cream so she could make Chloe smoothies. Once upstairs, Beca pulled off Chloe's shoes and wrapped her in a warm fuzzy blanket and sat her in the oversized beanbag which was large enough for them both.

She got herself a juice and offered one to Chloe. Chloe peeked around to see what else was in the fridge and asked for one of the waters that wasn't cold. While disappointed that Chloe hadn't chosen something with calories, Beca knew that staying hydrated was important.

They talked a long time about what all had been going on throughout the school year. Beca told her about the two universities she'd been accept to but how she hadn't decided where to go. Chloe talked about her classes and how she'd dropped out of Bellas the second semester. "I may start again next year; we'll see." When Beca told her of the music promoters, Chloe got excited. "I'm proud of you Beca. Your music is amazing."

While she had read conflicting approaches online about eating disorders, if that's what Chloe truly had, Beca finally decided to push the subject of Chloe's not eating. "Stacie said you are having trouble eating."

Chloe began to pick at her cuticle. "I'm not having trouble eating. Just don't want to eat. There's a difference."

"I'm worried about you sweetie." Beca pulled her over to place a kiss on her temple. "We need to get some calories into you." Chloe looked at her apathetically. "Why don't you want to eat?"

After thinking a bit, Chloe responded, "I lost you Beca. I made a stupid decision and lost you. I don't want to be on this Earth without you."

Shocked, Beca pulled Chloe even closer. "Well I'm here now and I want you on this Earth. I have some ice cream downstairs. Try some ice cream? It's strawberry, your favorite." Chloe wrinkled up her nose. "Okay you need some nutrition. Beca crawled over to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of Ensure Plus nutrition shakes. "These are high calorie and will help fill in some of the nutrition gaps your body has been missing."

"Beca, I'm not hungry. Can we just snuggle?" Chloe was only slightly whiny, but Beca was insistent on getting something into her stomach.

She held up the bottles. "I have chocolate and strawberry. Here, I'll drink it with you." When Chloe didn't reach for a bottle, Beca sweetened the deal. "And for every sip you take, not fake sip because I can tell, I'll give you a kiss."

Chloe's eyes brightened. "A kiss, huh? Where?"

"Anywhere you like."

Turning drinking the shakes into a game helped motivate Chloe somewhat. About a third of the way through the bottle, Beca could tell the redhead was about to get sick and decided not to push things further. She took the bottle from Chloe's hand, recapped it and put it back into the mini fridge. Chloe stuck her lower lip out. "But I was earning kisses."

Beca grinned at her and snuggled back into the redhead. "You've drank enough, so I'll give you all the kisses you want."

* * *

Beca didn't want to overtire Chloe so after a short round of making out, she suggested they get ready for bed. She helped Chloe change into her pajamas and sent her to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Once the redhead came out, Beca sat her beside the bed and rubbed some leave-in conditioning oil into Chloe's hair. She finger-brushed out many of the tangles then told Chloe she was sending the oil home with her to use every night to help her hair get healthy again.

When Beca came back from the bathroom, Chloe was already in bed. She smiled at the redhead, watching her sleep before turning off the lights. She slipped between the sheets and wrapped herself around Chloe. Normally Chloe was the one holding her, but this felt right. This  _was_  her Chloe, the Chloe she adored, the Chloe she fell in love with.

She eased Chloe's hair off her neck so she could kiss it. "I love you Chloe. I always have." Whispering those words into Chloe's ear was such a relief to Beca, especially when Chloe snuggled back against her.

"Mmm I love you, too, Becs. Never stopped."

And all was right with the world.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Possible eating disorder issues 
> 
> Thanks for each of you who have stuck through this coming of age story with me. All that's left is a short epilogue.
> 
> Drive by Jakle and Hide (Kelly Jakle and Brittany Snow)  
> Out of Love by Alessia Cara  
> Still Falling For You by Ellie Goulding


	19. Epilogue

"How is she?"

"Improving. She's been asking about you. Asks when you are coming to visit."

Beca looked away and towards the facility. She had met Chloe's mom to drop off some things from herself and the girls who were working at camp. "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean it's partially my fault she's in there."

Chloe's mom put her hand on Beca's arm. "No sweetie. Chloe's situation is nobody's fault. She's working through that here. Please go see her. I think it will help her a great deal. You are already on the approved list, and I know she'd love to see you."

Beca was still wary until Chloe's mom reminded her how much improvement Chloe had made since Spring Break and the two reconciling their relationship. "Okay, you win." The brunette pulled back the present from Chloe's mom and stood up to give her a hug. "Thanks Ms. Beale. You are the best." She then walked towards the entrance to the treatment facility.

"Beca Mitchell to see Chloe Beale for family day." She signed in at the front desk and affixed the badge to her shirt. The receptionist asked if Beca had any food or drink items on her then directed her to the open area.

Chloe was sitting with her back to the entrance facing a large plate glass window. She was wearing her baby yellow duck pajamas, of course, and her hedgehog slippers. Her hair was beginning to regain some of its glossiness. Beca slowly walked over and slipped into the chair next to her girlfriend. "This seat taken?" She braced herself for what she knew was coming next.

"Beca! I didn't know you were coming today." She flung her arms around the younger girl and squeezed with all her might.

Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe and returned the hug, albeit more gently because she didn't want to injure the frail girl. When she pushed back and saw that the brightness was returning back to Chloe's eyes, she smiled. Chloe's face had a hopeful expression as she looked at the brunette. Beca put her hands on either side of Chloe's face and brought their foreheads together before kissing her softly. "Hi baby. I've missed you."

Relief coursed over Chloe's face as she returned Beca's kiss and buried her nose in the brunette's hair. "I've missed you, too." She had a death grip on Beca's hand, not planning on letting go anytime soon. She pulled Beca over to sit next to her on the couch.

Beca looked her up and down. "You look really good Chloe. And I'm not just saying that because you're my girlfriend. Your hair is regaining so much of its sheen and your eyes are bright again."

"My eyes are happy to see you," Chloe giggled. Of course, lately she laughed anytime Beca called her  _girlfriend_. "Notice anything else?" The redhead sat up straighter.

"Uh nuh. My mama told me to never mention a woman's weight."

"I'm almost up to my goal weight Beca! That means I get to go home. I'd still come back for outpatient services – counseling and weight check-ins, but I'd get to sleep in my own bed! Or yours." She winked.

Beca gathered her girlfriend's hands in her own. "Babe, I'm so glad you decided to get help before this," she motioned up and down the redhead's body, "got too far out of hand."

"My therapist says my eating issues were mostly depression related, the doctor here has me on some mild anti-depressants. I feel tons better. And I've always been predisposed to all this but being able to talk through things and having alternative ways to cope are helpful. Knowing I have you is best of all."

Beca squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "OH! Remember I told you about the music guys? I talked to one of them and he wants to cut an official demo and promote it through some college radio stations." Chloe clapped excitedly. "If the reception is good, he said the studio might let me cut an EP with a handful of songs to release in a broader audience."

The redhead was squirming in her seat, not wanting to ask some of the questions that had been floating in her mind. "So… Becs. Does this mean you are going to take a gap year? If you start the university in Florida, making an album here in Atlanta might be difficult." She decided to just throw it out there.

Beca grinned at her girlfriend. "Who said anything about Florida? I decided to go to Barden. Everything I need and love are right there – the studio, my friends, and you." Chloe could barely contain her excitement at the news that her girlfriend wasn't going to be abandoning her.

She gave Chloe her presents from their friends who were working camp – a bunch of silly arts and crafts projects like cards made from handmade paper and natural dye, paracord bracelets, and even a leather magic bracelet. "Emily said she's eating enough s'mores for you, and everyone sends their love." Beca brought the beanie babies to keep Chloe company during her last days of inpatient care and some copies of a few open mics.

When visiting hours were over, both girls were in much higher spirits. "I'm glad you came Becs." Chloe walked her girlfriend to the visitor exit.

"Me, too, babe. I'm sorry I didn't come before. I guess I was scared." Beca leaned her forehead against Chloe's. "You know I'm here for you, right?"

"Yeah. I'm going to be okay. Are we going to be okay?" Chloe's voice was timid.

Beca nodded. "Yes. We are going to be okay. I promise." Beca give her a chaste kiss and left the facility.

* * *

After Chloe was discharged, her weight continued to increase, and her heath, both physical and mental, improved in leaps and bounds. In between her regular outpatient sessions, she spent some time with Beca at the Thursday open mics and Saturday DJ events. They even went to Camp Barden to visit their friends there so Chloe could sneak in one of the s'mores she'd been craving for a while. Despite that treat not being on her approved meal plan, she got special permission from her nutritionist to eat one.

The summer continued without incident. After Beca full trained someone else to run the Thursday open mic, she passed the YouTube site over to the Friday night employee since he had more experience. While Lisa was disappointed to lose her prized employee, she knew the girl had to go to college at some point.

Beca's initial song release was cut in time for the semester to begin and for the university radio stations to start accepting submissions for their playlists. Even though she and her mom didn't live far from Barden University, Beca had decided to live on campus so she could be closer to her girlfriend. Stacie and Aubrey lived in an off-campus dorm. Chloe and her mom decided staying the dorms would be her best shot at maintaining stability. And stability is what Chloe needed at this stage of her healing.

* * *

**_Three Years Later_ **

As Chloe's college graduation grew closer, Beca became more and more nervous. The redhead hadn't said much about her plans for after graduation. Their relationship had gone smoothly while they had been in the same location. But since Beca still had a year left, she was afraid they would be back into the same situation as before, falling out of touch and losing sight of their relationship as Chloe's life shifted and Beca's stayed the same.

The night before graduation, Chloe insisted on the two of them driving out to the lake on the outskirts of town to spend some quiet time together. "Things have been so hectic, and I want to spend time with just you and me." Chloe crawled up onto the hood of Beca's car and motioned for her to do the same. "You've been distant lately Becs. Have I done something?" Chloe hooked her arm through Beca's and lay her head on her shoulder.

Beca shook her head. "No? Then… what's going on?" Chloe's voice expressed her concern.

"It's just that… well you are leaving again. We are going to be right back where we were my senior year of high school. You off somewhere else; me here at Barden. I guess I'm just afraid we'll grow apart again." Beca couldn't look at her girlfriend despite being the most honest she'd been in months.

Chloe hopped off the hood, went to rummage in the car and came back. She handed Beca a small wrapped box. "I got you something."

Beca shook the box as she laughed. "You've got this all backwards. It's your graduation Chlo." The redhead motioned for Beca to open her gift anyway. The brunette's face showed total confusion when she pulled out a key on a keychain. She rubbed the leather keychain marked with a B and noticed there was another stamped with a C. "You've already got a new place? You are moving away?" Her voice was despondent.

"No baby. I'm not moving away. This is for a place here, close to Barden. Our place. You do still have a year left. I'm not sure what I want to do with my life just yet. But I do know what my life includes you. I want to prove to you that I won't make the same mistakes as before."

"I thought we were past that." Beca fiddled with the key as her mind went in all sorts of directions.

"Sounds like you are still unsure… thinking we may grow apart again. I want to show you I'm not that person from your senior year anymore. To make you trust me completely. I want to go back to work at camp this summer. I need closure there. Then get a real job, I suppose." She reached over and picked up the C keychain from the box and dangled it in front of Beca.

They sat in silence for a while before a grin broke across Beca's face. "Does this mean I'm not staying in the dorms next year?"


End file.
